Forged bonds
by Talesofwovensilver
Summary: WBWL. Natalia had to give her son up to keep him safe. She gave him to the Potters. He became Harry James Potter. Harry always felt there was something separating him from his family. Now he knows what that is.
1. Chapter 1

_Italics=Russian_

The wind was harsh and her hair whipped her face in cruel, unforgiving motions. Her toes were cold and bitten and her legs burned from the exhaustion but she did not stop. Keeping the bundle craddled in her arms close so her chest she pulled her thick, deep crimson cloak closer to her body.

Striding forward she followed the tether towards where she could sense a pool of defensive magic. Coming to a stop on a small village street, she stood facing a row of thatched cottages.

She let the feeling of the cold bitter air wash over her before she stepped forward over the intensely oppressive boundary surrounding one particular cottage, over the threshold until a feeling of warmth and homeliness seemed to wrap around her.

As she approached the front door she steeled her nerves, wiped the tears from her face and knocked.

There was the sound of feet slapping on wood as one of the houses inhabitants rushed towards the front of the house. The footsteps were decidedly light but not childish in quality so the inhabitant was probably female and in good physical health.

The door swung open to reveal a hassled looking young woman with red/auburn hair a few shades lighter than her own deep scarlett ringlets and sparkling green eyes. In another world they could have been sisters.

"Who are you? How are you here?" The woman's bright green eyes, so similar to her own, were popping and her mouth was the perfect horrified 'O'.

Letting a weak smile she spoke with a light Russian accent, "Do not worry. I do not know where I am. I only detected the heavy warding surrounding this establishment and I am in need of them. Please, I need your help. I bring you no harm. I can swear it on my magic! Please!"

The young woman in front of her looked down for a second before blinking a couple of times and then stepping aside and allowing her to enter. She clutched the bundle toghter to her chest as she stepped into the entry way. It was sparsely decorated, leading to the conclusion that the house had recently been moved into. Still it had a homely feel, not the dusty one of a house been left to stand and grow stagnant over time, so it had obviously been cared for.

Taking in every thing surrounding her, she finally turned to face the young woman before her, letting out a shaky breath as everything began to tumble out of her mouth.

She talked of how she had been torn away from her family at a young age and genetically enhanced to become a deadly, agile weapon. How she had fallen pregnant and the leaders of the organisation she belonged to wanted her child to experiment on. That due to her genetic enhancements her child would inherit them and be used as she was, to become the perfect killing machine in human form.

By the time she had explained this the young woman had led her to kitchen and sat her down at the table. She sat across from her, her mouth yet again open in a horrified 'O' at the tale being told to her.

"I couldn't let them take my child. I need to hide him. Somewhere they will never find. They are but muggles. They do not know of magic and he will be safe here. Hidden beneath your wards. Even if it is but for a few years. They will stop searching soon. Please. You must take him and raise him as your own." She was begging now.

"But he is your child. You would willingly give him up to a complete stranger."

"It is for his own protection and I would not leave him in your custody if I did not deem you a worthy guardian. I would easily give my life for him if only it ment he would be safe. Please do this for me. If not for me then for my child, he is not yet a week old. Would you let him die when he has his whole life ahead of him. You can save him. Please." The last few words were spoken in a pleading whisper.

The young woman seemed to be thinking rapidly. After a moment's hesitation she nodded her head. "Okay. I'll take him in. You look enough like me for him to pass as my child and just to be on the safe side we'll glamour him for the next few years so he will not be recognised if your organisation does continue to look for him."

All the fight seemed to leave her as she slumped against the kitchen chair in relief. "Thank you." Then after a moment of hesitation, "May I have..." She trailed off at the end but her intention was clear.

"Of course. I'll be in the living room, just call once you're finished." Then she hurried out the room to give her some privacy.

Looking down she carefully pried the bundle away from her chest. A small round face came into view. It was flushed pink and it held whisps of curly red, soft downy hair on its crown. The eyes were open in a baby blue colour that all new borns had but would darken into a forest green in a month or so.

Trailing a finger across his cheek she let a few tears fall. He gazed up at her with an intensely curious look on his face. A small, tiny hand reached up to grasp one of her curls in an action very advanced for a baby but a few days old. That was why she had to give him up. He was special and she couldn't let anybody hurt him.

She reached down to kiss his forehead and felt his tiny hand brush against her cheek.

 _"I love you so much. More than anything in the world. I'm so sorry. Maybe one day we'll meet again. I do not know whether you will want to but I can hope you will. Always remember you are loved, my child. Nikolai Alekseevich Romanov."_

Placing one more kiss to his head, Natalia let out a deep breath before standing and making her way towards the front room. There she slowly handed her child over towards 'Lily', reluctant to give him up.

"I will take care of him. I promise. What's his name?"

"It is better that you name him. People will be less suspicious."

Giving him one last kiss to his head and a whispered 'I love you' she thanked Lily and walked out into the night.

The next morning Nikolai would wake up 'Harry James Potter's to his two parents James and Lily Potter. He would have a glamour placed over him so would appear to have messy black hair and emerald green eyes. His birth mother would fake his death and the Red Room would search for him over Russia. Never once suspecting he might reside in a different country. After all, you can't travel from one country to another in less than an hour.

 **A/N: I do not read marvel comics so all I have written about Natasha/Natalia I have interpreted and developed from what I saw in the movies. Also Nikolai's name has no significant meaning. I just picked some Russian sounding names (Google baby names). Come on people review! Give me some feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I have changed the timeline a bit to fit the story. So James and Lily might have gotten married a bit earlier than in the canon plot. I also changed to Prophecy because if I want Harry as the chosen one he can't be with the canon Prophecy which states he if _born_ to those who thrice defied him. I don't know what the new Prophecy will be. I might not even write one. We'll see.**

James and Lily had just moved into a house in Godrics Hollow a few months after leaving Hogwarts. Lily was unpacking her books to put on the shelves when the door bell rang.

She froze. She wasnt expecting anyone. Who could it be? A shiver of terror ran through her as a small, treacherous part of her mind thought, 'Death Eaters'.

She shook herself. It wouldn't be death eaters, they had no reason to be here. Plus the wards Dumbledore put up should have kept them out. Or at least alerted her and James to there being someone with harmful intent. Of course, James wasn't here. Being an Auror he worked long hours.

Lily herself was working on getting her Charms mastery but that wasn't as taxing as being an Auror. That wasn't to say she wasn't doing her part in the war. Her and James had joined the Order of the Phoenix straight out of school. Along with James fellow marauders.

They had been up against Voldemort himself twice. This was the reason they were under such heavy wards. With the war raging and with no sign of it stopping soon, Dumbledore had come to them and told them of a Prophecy he had heard near the end of their seventh year at Hogwarts.

The Prophecy told of a child born at the end of July to parents who had defeated the dark lord three times. Dumbledore had been concerned that they, being members of the Order and having already faced Voldemort twice and survived that they might be potential candidates as the future parents.

He had told them how Voldemort knew part of the Prophecy and had suggested they allow him to ward their house against Death Eaters just to be safe. Voldemort hadn't figured out the Prophecy yet and he may not even suspect them but they didn't want to take any chances.

Dumbledore had taken the precaution to ward several of the Orders younger couples who might also be candidates, like Alice and Frank Longbottom who had recently given birth to a baby boy, Neville the week before.

Of course, with Voldemort still building up Power the war could rage for a long time. There had been few attacks and even those far between. But the attacks that had been waged were viscous and the result of many casualties. Voldemort wasn't at the height of his power and wouldn't be for a year or two more but those that weren't in denial lived in fear of another brutal attack.

Snapping pack to the present Lily got up and dusted off her legs before leaving the room and descending the stairs.

Without stopping to think she swung the door open, which in retrospect was a stupid idea because if it was a death eater on the other side she would have been screwed.

Realising what she'd just done and that there really was someone on the other side of the door Lily opened her mouth in a silent exclamation of horror and she could feel her eyes growing wide at the sight before her.

In front of her stood a young woman with a heart shaped face and forest green eyes. With dark scarlett curls that probably went down to her mid back she had very similar colouring to Lily herself.

In her arms the young woman held a small bundle. Of what Lily did not know. She was breathing heavily and her cloak was frayed at the hem. In the night Lily could make it out to be a deep crimson colour.

Before she could stop her self Lily burst out in a rush, "Who are you? How are you here?"

The woman gave a weak smile, but it looked like it was more for herself than for Lily. She replied in a light Russian accent that probably couldn't be detected in normal circumstances. "Do not worry. I do not know where I am. I only detected a heavy warding around this establishment and I am in need of them. Please, I need your help. I bring you no harm. I can swear it on my magic! Please!" Her speech became more hurried towards the end.

Lily was a naturally kind and caring person so she felt inclined to help the young woman in front of her, who so obviously needed it. Still these were dark times and you could never know who to trust.

Hesitating, Lily looked down at the bundle in the young woman's arms again and she saw a flash of flushed white skin. It was then that Lily realised the woman was carrying a baby. It was that which decided for Lily to let the woman in.

She stepped aside and allowed the woman to enter. She did so, looking round the entry hall before looking back to Lily who decided it would be best to take the following conversation to the kitchen, where they could sit across from one another. Lily had her wand in her wand holster, strapped to her arm. She had put it there when the bell rang, but she doubted she would need it.

Silently Lily listened in horror as the young woman across from her - Natasha - described how she had been torn away from her family at a young age due to an accident and taken in by an organisation which genetically enhanced her to become a deadly, agile weapon. Lily covered her mouth to stiffle her gasps as Natasha told her of how she had fallen pregnant, and the leaders of the organisation she belonged to wanted her child to experiment on. She felt physically sick when she explained that due to her genetic enhancements Natasha's child would inherit them and be used as she was, to become the perfect killing machine in human form.

Truly Lily didn't feel it necessary but she felt obliged to confirm that Natasha wanted to her to take in her son. After all to Natasha she was but a stranger.

Her answer was, "It is for his own protection and I would not leave him in your custody if I did not deem you a worthy guardian. I would easily give my life for him if only it ment he would be safe. Please do this for me. If not for me then for my child, he is not yet a week old. Would you let him die when he has his whole life ahead of him. You can save him. Please." The last few words were spoken in a pleading whisper but with a lot of heat.

Lily began thinking rapidly. What would James do when he came home to find he was a father to a baby less than a week old? But Lily couldn't say no and she truly didn't want to. But there was also the Prophecy to think of. But surely no one had to know. They could hide the child behind their wards for the next few years.

"Okay. I'll take him in. You look enough like me for him to pass as my child and just to be on the safe side we'll glamour him for the next few years so he will not be recognised if your organisation does continue to look for him."

All the fight seemed to leave Natasha as she slumped against the kitchen chair in relief. "Thank you." Then after a moment of hesitation, "May I have..." She trailed off at the end but her intention was clear.

Lily quickly agreed and left the room to give the mother and son some semblance of privacy in their last moments together.

Whilst she was waiting, her mind roamed over everything that had happened in the last hour. She was now a parent to a child years earlier than she ever thought she would be. She was barely 18 yet. She didn't know how to take care of a child. But then, what new parent did. She could do this. Not forgetting she would have James to help her.

Hearing feet against the floor she straightened up, just as Natasha walked through the door.

Approaching her she slowly handed her child over towards Lily, who could sense she was reluctant to give her child up.

"I will take care of him. I promise. What's his name?" Lily said in an attempt to ease her.

Natasha shook her head. Her curls bouncing about. "It is better that you name him. People will be less suspicious." Lily nodded her agreement.

Giving him one last kiss to his head and a whispered 'I love you' Natasha thanked Lily and walked out into the night.

Lily watched her go before looking down at the child in her arms. He had baby blue eyes which were currently gazing up at her with a furrowed brow and puckered lips. She sighed as she said, "Sorry sweetie, your mummy's gone but she loves you very much and she left you with me because she knows I'll look after you. Okay"

She wasn't expecting an answer and she didn't get one. The child just crinkled his brow even more and looked out of the window where his mother had disappeared before looking back up at her.

He was only a few days old and he'd already lost his mother. Lily froze. Only a few days old. It couldn't be. Today was the 4th of August 1977. That would mean he was born at the end of July.

Lily told herself he could have been born on the 1st of August. It was entirely possible. Somehow she didn't think that was the case.

Quickly Lily climbed to stairs to her and James room where she had been unpacking the books eaarlier. Holding the child close she scanned the shelf before gently placing the boy on the bed and ripping open the boxes holding the numerous other books. For the first time in her life Lily cursed having so many books. How on Earth was she supposed to find one book in all of this. Not to mention the extension charms.

For the second time that day Lily could of hit herself. What was the use of Summoning Charms if she didn't use them.

Snapping down her wand she cast the spell and a large tome came flying towards her. She had to cast Arresto Momentum to stop the large book from knocking her out.

Quickly flipping through the pages she found what she was looking through and once doing a quick practice she cast the charm over the body to find his date and time of birth.

Sinking to her knees next to the bed with the sleeping child on it - that was one quiet child she'd once gone with James and Sirius to baby sit his cousin Andromeda's child Nymphadora Tonks and she was extremely loud - she looked above him at the glowing red digits. 31st July 1977. Gnawing at her lower lip she thought furiously. Surely the Prophecy ment a child _born_ to those that had thrice defied him, not given. Also her and James had only defied Voldemort two times, not three. Yes! That was it. Just a coincidence, that's all. She pointedly ignored that fact that neither her nor James had heard the actual wording of the Prophecy.

Lily was waiting for him when James returned home. As expected he totally freaked out when he saw a child in Lily's arms. It took a while but slowly Lily talked James round. Together they named him Harry James Potter and as Lily had told Natasha they cast a glamour on him.

After a lot of debate they settled on messy black hair like James and as he progressed in life he'd be seen to develop a body frame similar to James. Almost identical to him except for his eyes. They left those as they were, being a baby blue they'd develop in the future. Children's eyes rarely matched that of their parents exactly so Lily and James felt safe in leaving them how they would be naturally.

* * *

 **October 31st 1981**

It had been four years and Lily and James raised Harry as their child. Sirius and Remus feel in love with him immediately and doted on him constantly. They had their suspicions but neither had asked about Harry's sudden appearance or Lily's lack of pregnancy. It was war and a lot of women used charms to conceal their pregnancy as it made them vulnerable in the eyes of the enemy.

Harry had always been an odd child. Highly curious, eyes always darting everywhere. Very quiet and very alert. After Lily fell pregnant with her 'second' child Harry began to draw back from his parents and no one knew why. He would disappear for hours every day into the forest and when he came back he would only say he had been with a friend.

With the birth of Charlus Fleamont Potter the Potters went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm. They gave the responsibility of being secret keeper to Sirius Black, James brother by all but blood up until Sirius convinced James the safety risk was too much that they switched keepers to Peter Pettigrew.

It was on this day Halloween 1981 that James and Lily, having been stuck in the house for over a year, and after much convincing on their friends part, took one day out of the year for themselves to enjoy as a couple.

Peter had promised to look after the boys for the night as Sirius and Remus had prior engagements with the Order.

But a few hours after they departed, a shadowed figure in a black robe was seen entering the house, the secret having been presented to him by his loyal servant, Wormtail.

He made his way to the nursery, leaving destruction in his wake.

Upon entering his haze fell only the two children in the crib. One was just over a year old with small baby like qualities, messy red hair and hazel eyes from his father. The other was lean for a four year old with messy black hair, an almost miniature clone of his father apart from the green eyes which were rumoured to be inherited from his mother's side.

Despite the three year difference between them, both boys were born on the same day. The 31st July.

Making up his mind, Lord Voldemort aimed his wand at the dark haired boy with intense forest green eyes, whom he could sense had great potential and a subtle yet exotic magic surrounding him.

"Avada Kedavra!" He hissed. The young boy turned his back as the curse flew towards him, to wrap his arms around his younger brother who was whimpering in terror.

The curse struck Harry's shoulder blade but rebounded off of him, towards Voldemort.

The Dark Lord barely had time to watch the young Harry Potter fall before the curse hit him. It impacted on his chest and his blood red eyes flashed before he began to disintegrate. Leaving behind only a robe and wand, as the dark soul was cast into the farthest, most remote corners of the world.

* * *

James and Lily rushed home as they felt the wards fall. Apparating to their house they found it in flames with a rat scurrying down the drain to the sewer.

Without a second thought they rushed towards the house. Their only though being to get to their children. Sirius and Remus who had arrived only moments after them - Sirius being keyed into the wards and Remus being with Sirius - hot on their heels.

They arrived at the nursery to the sight of Harry collapsed in front of Charlus, his back facing them, unnaturally still. Charlus was bawling with a long cut stretching from the bridge of his nose to his left jaw.

They saw a silver domed light dissipating around the crib as they arrived. The surrounding area was relatively untouched compared to the rest of the house and nursery specifically.

The parents rushed forward. Lily scooped up Charlus and tried to calm his hysterical screaming whilst James knelt by Harry. He craddled his body in his arms resting his head on Harry's chest before sitting back in relief at the gentle rise and fall of his son's chest.

It was up to Sirius and Remus to manoeuvre the family outside before the house caved in on them.

Once out the house they were met by several Aurors and Albus Dumbledore himself. After recounting what they knew of the story to Dumbledore, the Aurors were despatched to locate Pettigrewith, whilst Remus had to hold Sirius back from doing something rash by telling him the only thing harmed in the incident has been the house. Which whilst not completely true, calmed the dog animagus down considerably.

Dumbledore, when told of the silver domed light and Charlus being the only one conscious, connected the incidents to mean Charlus had conjured the light and that, paired with the scar marking his face made him eligible as the conqueror of Voldemort.

It was announced to the small family and the surrounding people, "Charlus Fleamont Potter! The Boy Who Defeated the Dark Lord!"

Later that day the papers would begin to press. They would be captioned with the words, 'Boy Who Lived' and 'Charlus Potter! Our saviour'.

No one would know until later that Harry James Potter also held a mark. One that rested on his right shoulder blade from where he had twisted to shield his brother from Voldemort's curse. A scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.

 **A/N: Review! How is it! Feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm moving it so Luna, Hermione and Neville are all Harrys age. Also the forest behind Godrics Hollow isn't magical. If anybody wants to know more I'll put it at the bottom of this chapter. Also, Harry's bed is one of those small child size beds with barriers round the sides. I'd also like to apologise for the uneven lengths of these chapters. Sorry. I don't plan how long they're going to be. Just what I'm going to put in them.**

Harry had always been a inquisitive child. Very intelligent too. When his mother read him bedtime stories he'd read along with her and he knew not to disturb the adults when they were having a serious conversation.

Which is why at this very moment Harry was crouched outside the living room, where his parents were having a hushed conversation.

"Will he be heir to the Potter name? He is first born after all?" He heard his mother ask. Harry was confused. Wasn't he first born? Where they talking about him?

"I suppose he will, but how is that going to work with Harry?" Was his father's reply. Well obviously they weren't talking about him if his name just came up.

"It's not safe enough to take down the glamour and if we tell them all he's adopted, then everyone will know he's glamoured. Then we'd have to tell them why he's glamoured and that defeats the point of having the glamour in the first place." Hissed his mother.

Harry was frozen. They were talking about him. He was old enough to know what adopted ment and he knew that it ment his parents, weren't really his parents.

Having heard enough, Harry quickly but quietly stood up and made his way to his room. Once there he settled in front of the mirror. He didn't know what a glamour was but he did know that children were supposed to look like their parents. If James wasn't his father then why did he look like him.

They'd been lying to him. Sure, they probably had a reason if what he'd heard in the living room ment anything. But that we still lying and Harry didn't know if he could trust them anymore. If they'd been lying about this then what else had they been lying about?

He stared at himself in the mirror. He wanted to know what he truly looked like.

Slowly, his hair began to grow. It didn't exactly flatten but it wasn't of the same messy quality. It grew to just below his shoulders and stopped. It began to turn a dark red colour and curl until he had a full mane of crimson ringlets surrounding his head. Next the illusion around his body fell away. It didn't really change much. Just gave him a bit of height and filled out his body structure a bit more. Though to be honest it was barely noticeable on his two year old body. Again, only slightly noticeable was his skin tone which had darken slightly to give a naturally tanned look. The only thing that stayed exactly the same were his eyes. They were the same forest green eyes he'd been staring at in the mirror through out the whole transformation.

Blinking he looked at his new appearance. This was what he really looked like. He liked it.

He heard a small noise behind him so turned around to look for the source.

On his pillow lay a letter. Cautiously, Harry approached his bed and sat down on it. He looked at the letter and he didn't recognise the hand writing on the envelope.

Picking up the envelope he discovered it wasn't normal parchment. Instead it was paper of a thick, creamy texture. Looking closer at the writing he froze for the second time that day. All the muscles in his body locking together.

 _'My Son'_ was written in swirling, elegant cursive. Harry felt tears gather in his eyes as he sniffed to keep them back. This was so much for the two year old. In less than an hour he had discovered he was adopted, his parents had been lying to him, he didn't look like he thought he did and he just received a letter from his birth mother.

With shaking hands Harry gently opened the envelope as carefully as he could.

Unfolding the letter inside he saw it was made of the same thick, creamy paper as the envelope. Inside was scrawled with black ink of the same elegant hand.

It started off with same words from the envelope.

 _'My Son,_

 _I don't know when you'll get this letter. Or even if you'll be old enough to understand or even read it. Either way I hope this letter finds you happy. I would hate if I was the reason you were miserable. I've charmed this letter to appear to you when you first learn you're adopted._

 _I need you to know that if I'd had the choice, I wouldn't have given you up for anything in the world. It was only for your safety and happiness that I did._

 _You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me. You are my greatest joy. Even though we spent so little time together, what time we did have I will cherish forever. You were the most beautiful child I have ever seen although I might be biased. Every mother thinks her child is the most beautiful, but you truly were an angel. I have no doubt you still are. Especially as there is nothing you could ever do to prove me wrong on that front. I love you unconditionally no matter what._

 _But I must apologise because I didn't write this letter just to tell you I love you and I'm sorry. I needed to tell you about our magic. I am a descendant of a special magical clan that holds a different type of magic to the rest of the world. I left you in England where they practice the use of wands as foci._

 _We don't have to use wands or other foci to focus our magic although we can - and you probably will when you go to school - instead we channel our magic through our bodies. Therefore the stronger we are physically then the stronger we are magically. That is why my magic is strong enough to leave time triggered letters for example._

 _That doesn't mean if we're injured we can't use magic, it just means we have to concentrate that little bit more. However, say our bodies are deteriorating we will find it harder and harder to do magic as the deterioration progresses._

 _So if you want to be strong - both physically and magically - you need to train. As a child I found my magic flourished when dancing. Despite contrary belief, dancing is not a girls sport. So if you want to I fully encourage you in that path._

 _I also specialise in combat and weapons training - we can use our magic to throw things farther, harder and to increase our aim. Not forgetting it's always good to have something to fall back on if you can't use magic - but you might want to wait until you're at least four or five before you think about that._

 _If you want to know more about your roots, I named you Nikolai Alekseevich Romanov. It's Russian. That's my first language. I was born and raised in Russia, but I know many other languages, English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic to name a few. But I thought maybe you'd want to know how to speak Russian. If you don't that's fine but if you do then I've got something to help you along the way._

 _It will appear once you've finished reading this if you want it._

 _I can't tell you my job. I'm sorry. Maybe when your old enough you can put together my skills and find out for yourself what I do. I hope you don't._

 _But if you do maybe you'll be able to learn why I had to give you up._

 _Do you want to know about your father? I myself don't know much about him. He had short blond hair, blue eyes and strong arms. I only knew him for a week but he was the kindest man I have ever met. He had a great sense of humour and he could always make me smile. That's a trait you share with him. He was the first person I ever loved. Like a breath of fresh air after being trapped in small cupboard for years._

 _I hope you can find someone like that and if you do, keep them close and never let them go._

 _I also hope for your sake that they are magical. Not that I have anything against non-magicals, your father himself wasn't a magic wielder. I mean I hope they're magical, because wizards and witches tend to have long life spans, and our family especially live for a long time. My life force has been extended so that I age much slower than the average human and I fear that trait will be passed down to you. You'll age normally up until you reach 18 at which point you'll seem to stop aging. You won't, you'll just age much slower._

 _I hope to meet again one day my son, until then I wish you live happily,_

 _All the love in the world,_

 _Your mother, Natalia. Xx'_

Harry/Nikolai was stunned. He had a mother who loved him more than anything else in the world. He was Russian. His mother hadn't wanted to give him up. She loved him. They had a special kind of magic. Then there was the fact he kept coming back to. His mother loved him no matter what. He felt warm inside, knowing someone loved him like that.

He knew Lily and James loved him but he (in the way two year olds sense those kind of things) never felt they loved him unconditionally. Sometimes it was like they found him, not disturbing exactly but, unsettling might be a good word.

Harry/Nikolai knew other children couldn't do what he did. They couldn't read like him, and half the time they couldn't understand what was going on around them.

Nibbling on his lower lip - looking adorable - he frowned before looking back at himself in the mirror. He blinked at his reflection. This was who he really was. Nikolai Romanov with the crimson curls.

But. His mother had given him to James and Lily for a reason. To keep him safe. If them ment He had to pretend to be Harry then that's what he would do. Because that's what his mother wanted.

He sighed before willing himself to look like he did before. If he kept the extra height then who would notice really?

Looking back at the letter he picked it up again. As clever as he was, he didn't understand every word his mother had written. But he understood quite a lot of it and the parts he didn't, he could learn.

He did however, know the bit about Russian. The letter said something would appear to help him if he wanted it to. But he couldn't see anything!

Suddenly there was the sound of a weight landing on the bed and Nikolai's head quickly swiveled round to see what it was. What he found, was a book.

A big, heavy looking book, bound in dark green leather.

Crawling closer Nikolai shuffled around on the bed until he was sat comfortably in front of the large book.

Opening it to the first page he saw two sentences. One was written in English and the other in a language he didn't recognise.

 **'All you need to know. Russian for beginners.'** Ah. So he assumed the other writing was Russian.

Suddenly he heard a sound on the stairs. Quickly he shoved the book as far underneath his bed as he could, folding the letting in the inside cover. He didn't want Lily or James asking questions about were he got it from.

Grabbing a book from his shelf he flopped down on the bed, opened the children's picture book of Peter Pan and swung his legs in the air.

Just a few moments later, James stood in the doorway. Nikolai tensed slightly, ducking his head down so his black fringe covered his eyes.

"Hey there, what you reading?" James asked.

"Peter Pan." It was a good book actually and an even better choice for this course of action. James always felt a bit out of his depth with muggle fairy tales so he probably wouldn't stay.

James must have seen something in his body language or heard something in his voice because he blinked a couple of times before he pushed off of the doorway and said, "Your mother and I are going to the shops. Do you want to come?"

Nikolai shook his head. "No thank you."

James looked a bit stuck before sighing and saying, "Okay, well Peter, Remus and Sirius are coming round later. Do you want us to wait until they're here and then go or do you want us to call Tildy from the Manor?" Tildy was James house elf from when he was a kid and sometimes when James and Lily couldn't find anyone to watch Harry when they had to go out quickly they would call her to watch Harry till they got back.

"Tildy's fine." Nikolai quite liked Tildy. She wasn't intrusive and she'd let him read quietly to himself whilst she cleaned the house.

James nodded and left the room to call Tildy and give her instructions before leaving the house with Lily.

Once Tildy had come in to greet him she left to clean the kitchen. One she'd left, Nikolai got out the book from under his bed and opened it to begin learning Russian.

* * *

It had been a year and Nikolai now had a four month old baby brother who looked like James with Lily's hair colour. He was very loud and luckily for Nikolai his crib was in James and Lily's room. His baby brother was born on exactly the same day as him, but three years after him.

It took a while, but Nikolai came to the conclusion that Lily and James didn't mean to hurt him when they lied about him being adopted but they still hadn't told him and if Nikolai hadn't overheard their conversation he still wouldn't know.

He wasn't angry with James and Lily but he didn't treat them as a child would treat their parents. He was more distant. It was kind of a forgive but not forget relationship. Even though James and Lily weren't aware of that.

James and Lily tried to maintain their original relationship with him, but when they realised it wasn't working they decided to respect his wishes and so adapted. They let Nikolai have his own space whilst still being involved in his life and he was happy with that.

It was on a family outing to the forest behind Godrics Hollow that Nikolai informed his parents he was going exploring and he'd be back before it got dark. They agreed but only if he took their cat, Darius with him. Nodding his head Nikolai put the magical kitten on his shoulders and trotted off into the forest.

It wasn't a dark forest. It had plenty of clearings and small, sparkling lakes.

It was in one of these clearings that Nikolai found a small girl, about his age, skipping round and spinning in circles. She had long dirty blond hair with dozens of flowers woven through it and big, bright blue eyes. When she saw Nikolai she skipped up to him and took his hand. With that she started skipping again and Nikolai had no choice but to follow her.

She took him through the woods, weaving around trees and skipping over streams. When they burst through the other side of the trees Nikolai expected to end up on the other side of the town or back in another clearing, but he would be wrong.

 **A/N: Hi Everyone! I know Luna's appearance is kind of abrupt but I did that on purpose. Read the next chapter to find out more about Luna! I'm really excited about the next chapter because I feel like we're developing more of Nikolai's character. Also, yes I did a very abrupt name change. That was on purpose. I know at the beginning of this chapter I said I'd explain about the forest but you'll have to wait until the next chapter. I know! I lied! I'm sorry! Until next time...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: The underlined passage is taken from the Deathly Hallows book and I made up Luna and her families middle names.**

It had been over a year since his revelation and Nikolai was as fluent in Russian as he was in English. He studied Russian from the book his mother gave him at every chance he got.

It was on a family outing to the forest behind Godrics Hollow that Nikolai informed his parents he was going exploring and he'd be back before it got dark. They agreed but only if he took their cat, Darius with him. Nodding his head Nikolai put the magical kitten on his shoulders and trotted off into the forest.

It wasn't a dark forest. It had plenty of clearings and small, sparkling lakes.

It was in one of these clearings that Nikolai found a small girl, about his age, skipping round and spinning in circles. She had long dirty blond hair with dozens of flowers woven through it and big, bright blue eyes. When she saw Nikolai she skipped up to him and took his hand. With that she started skipping again and Nikolai had no choice but to follow her.

She took him through the woods, weaving around trees and skipping over streams. When they burst through the other side of the trees Nikolai expected to end up on the other side of the town or back in another clearing, but he would be wrong.

They were at the bottom of a hill, looking up Nikolai saw the strangest house he had ever seen. It rose vertically against the sky, a great, black cylinder with a ghostly moon hanging behind it in the afternoon sky. It looked like a castle chess piece.

The girl with the long blond hair looked back at him smiling, before pulling him up the hill to where two adults were sat on a blanket smiling at them.

"Luna! Who's your friend?" Called the woman. She looked remarkably like the little girl pulling him. With the same curly hair and blue eyes. The only difference was the little girls - Luna's - hair was lighter, like a cross between her mother's dark blonde hair and her father's practically white hair.

"I don't know mummy, but he looks pretty and he has a kitten." Was the strange girls reply.

The woman laughed before telling her child, "Maybe you should ask his name. It is polite to introduce yourself to people you don't know before you drag them off to play with you. Okay Luna?"

The little girl nodded before turning doing to face Nikolai.

"My name's Luna Celaena Lovegood. What's yours?"

Nikolai grinned before introducing himself by his birth name for the first time ever. "Nikolai Aleksovich Romanov. Pleased to meet you."

The girl friend back at him before turning back to her parents.

"Mummy, Daddy, this is my new friend Nikolai Alekseevich Romanov. Nikolai Alekseevich Romanov this is my mummy Pandora and my daddy Xenophilius. Can I stroke your kitten?"

Nikolai quirked a smile before taking Darius off of his shoulders and putting him in Luna's arms. Luna looked quite suprised. Almost as if she wasn't expecting him to say yes.

Nikolai smiled before sitting down with Luna in front of Pandora and Xenophilius.

"Why do you look like that?" Nikolai wasn't expecting that so started when Luna asked him.

He had been watching her pet Darius who was purring madly. It was quite funny because normally Darius would only let Lily and Nikolai touch him. He hissed at anybody else, but he seemed to love Luna.

"Look like what?" Nikolai asked cautiously.

"Like that." Luna replied like it was obvious.

Nikolai was suprised. No one had commented on how he looked earlier and all the marauders were round for the day so surely someone would have said something if he looked weird.

Nikolai looked at Pandora inquisitively as she was smiling at him softly.

"I think." She started carefully, "Luna's talking about the glamour you're wearing."

Nikolai tensed. He positioned his legs underneath him so he could spring up at the first sign of trouble. He had worked out that the way he appeared as Harry - with the black, messy hair and little frame - was the glamour Lily had been talking about.

"I don't know what you're talking about." It was the classic denial phrase, but Nikolai was only three.

"Nikolai, there's no need to hide. We're not going to hurt you." Pandora spoke softly and calmly. Nikolai wasn't to know he looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Her tone calmed him down but he was still cautious.

"Will you swear it? On your magic?" Pandora looked suprised but calmly took out her wand.

"I, Pandora Eileen Lovegood, hereby swear that me and mine will never intentionally harm you Nikolai Alexi Romanov. I swear this on my magic. So mote it be." She then quietly whispered an incantation and a lights came whizzing out of her wand in the shape of miniature wolfs and pegasus.

Nikolai gazed at them in wonder before snapping his gaze back to Pandora with a sheepish smile on his face.

"It's okay Nikolai. Do you trust us now?" Pandora, Xenophilius and Luna were all looking at him expectantly and he nodded his head firmly.

"Will you show us what you look like now?" Asked Luna curiously in her dreamy voice.

Nikolai turned back to look at her. "I thought you could see it. Didn't you know I was wearing a glamour?"

Luna shook her head. "I can only tell your wearing a glamour not what you look like underneath."

Nikolai thought for a moment before letting the glamour fall.

He could see Luna's eyes widen from where he was facing her. He felt his hair touch below his shoulder blades and it fell in his eyes as it began to curl. He also knew his face had become more heart shaped and his cheek bones raised.

He looked at her shyly. He'd never shown anyone what he really looked like.

Luna stopped petting Darius to stroke her hand across his left cheek bone. Nikolai could feel himself blushing.

"Wow! You're even prettier like this." She spoke without any hesitancy.

"Um... Thankyou." Nikolai scratched his head.

"Your welcome." She replied before changing the subject. "Your hairs quite big. Do you ever think Nargles might like to hide in it." Nikolai was stumped. He had no idea what just happened.

So he asked the obvious question, "What's a Nargle. And wouldn't that mean the Nargles would have to see through my glamour. Can they see through glamours?"

It was the start of a wonderful friendship.

* * *

Nikolai was four years old and Charlus had just defeated Voldemort. The whole world wanted to look at him it seemed, so James and Lily were taking them to Potter Manor where the house elfs had kept it clean and tidy. They said it was to make sure they didn't get overwhelmed. But Nikolai also knew it was so if any of Voldemort's followers tried to attack Charlus they wouldn't be able to find him. After all, Godrics Hollow was unplottable.

That was what scared Nikolai the most though.

If they had to move away and Potter Manor was unplottable, how was he going to see Luna?

She was his best friend and they saw each other nearly everyday.

Her home was like home away from home and her parents were a third set of parents - it was ironic that he was closer to Luna's parents than his own - he spent so much time there.

Xenophilius was great once you got past his odd beliefs that he seemed to have passed onto his daughter. Nikolai loved Pandora. She always new just how he wanted to be treated. He wasn't an ordinary child and she didn't treat him as one. Then again neither was Luna. But she never talked over his head or sent him sideways glances when she thought he wasn't looking like other adults he met did. That was something else Luna inherited. Both mother and daughter always seemed to know things no one else did and think about things differently to everyone else. But both the odd beliefs and the knowing senses made Luna exceptionally individual and Nikolai wouldn't have her any other way.

* * *

It was the next day and they were at Potter Manor at the moment with Sirius and Remus, but they were going back to Godrics Hollow to see if they could gather anything from the ruined house.

Harry asked to go with them to see his friend. James and Lily agreed so when they got there Nikolai went straight off to see Luna.

Running through the clearing he burst out the foliage and ran straight up the zigzagging pathway, ignoring the dirigible plums as by now he was quite used to them.

Knocking on the door he waited for it to open. When it did it was Pandora on the other side. She opened the door wider for him to come in and he was barely through the front door before the whole story came bursting out of his mouth.

"And now we're moving house and I don't know how I'm going to see Luna!" He was flopped down on the sofa with a cup of tea that only he and Pandora drank. Xeno and Luna preferring some other odd substance that they liked to call tea.

Pandora smiled gently before setting down her cup and coming to kneel in front of Nikolai.

"Niko. Do you know how it's possible that you can travel through the forest and get from Godrics Hollow to St Lottery Catchpole in a matter of minutes?"

"It's magic isn't it?" Nikolai asked in confusion.

Pandora shook her head. "Partly. But if you asked any other Witch or Wizard if it was possible to travel through the forest to get from here to there without apparating they would say no. It's not the forest that lets you travel to us. You always go through the clearing you first met Luna in don't you?" Nikolai nodded. He was starting to understand were this was going but he still didn't fully understand. "It's the clearing that takes you from Godrics Hollow to here and it will be the clearing that takes you from Potter Manor to here aswell. The Manor does have forest, correct?" Nikolai nodded again.

"So is there a clearing like that in every forest?"

Pandora laughed lightly. "No child, but there will be a clearing in every forest _you_ live by."

"And every forest Luna lives by?" Nikolai asked.

"Yes, and every forest Luna lives by too." Pandora confirmed.

"Is it because of Luna's magic. The kind she got from you?" Nikolai had noticed Luna had a special type of magic. It was different to all the other witches and wizards he had met, including her fathers but it was quite obviously inherited from her mother who held the same kind of special magic. Nikolai had long ago linked it to Luna and Pandora's gift of knowing.

Pandora just smiled and nodded. "You should get back before Lily and James start hunting for you. I'm sorry you missed Xeno and Luna. They went searching for Merry Humdingers."

"Why didn't you go with them?" Nikolai asked curiously. Pandora normally accompanied her husband and daughter on their hikes.

"I was waiting for you of course." Pandora smiled at him. Nikolai didn't even blink at that. He should have expected that really.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

"Any time Niko."

When he got back to Godrics Hollow James and Lily were ready to go and so was he.

* * *

It was his fifth birthday and after present giving with his family in the morning he had gone to Luna's and spent a few hours there.

He was on his way back to Potter Manor now but his thoughts were elsewhere.

He was thinking about the letter he had received from his mother just under three years ago. Luckily it had been spared from being destroyed during Voldemort's attack as it had been hidden underneath his bed in his Russian book and the flames hadn't gotten to it. Once they got to Potter Manor he had asked Tildy to get it for him and put it in his new room under his bed. Good for him Tildy was fond of him so did as he asked without any questions.

He had memorised every word his mother had written him and her writing was imprinted on his brain.

Right at that moment he was thinking of what his mother had said about not starting combat training until he was at least four but he was five now and he wanted to have another connection to his mother. Something to identify with. Not forgetting that she said the stronger he was physically then the stronger he would be magically.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't notice where he was going and tripped over a protruding root.

He groaned before lifting his head up. Then he dropped his head straight back down again.

It was official! He just had a weird nack for finding magical places in forests. First Luna's and his clearing. Now this! It was definitely magical because it was NOT there before he fell over.

It was a Japanese styled building with a beautiful garden at the front.

The building itself had a swooping overhang, allowing a large porch space to overlook the garden. Which had stone steps leading up to the low building. It even had a small stream running along the far front of the garden. Perfectly sculptured bushes and cherry blossom trees adorned the large green space.

In front of the building stood a man. He looked very intimidating. He was tall but lean, like a panther and he looked to be around thirty years old, but wise at the same time.

He was watching Nikolai so he thought it might be a good idea to get off the forest floor.

Debating whether it might be a good to turn tail and run the decision was made when the man at the door motioned for him to come closer.

Recognising that the man could easily over power him and bring him back with one hand Nikolai wisely decided against that action and approached the man warily.

"Keep your back straight and walk with confidence child. You're not doing yourself any favours there." Straightening immediately at his tone of voice Nikolai unconsciously did just that.

"How did you find this place child?" The man questioned him.

"Um, I just tripped." Nikolai cursed his eloquence. Why did he say that. Of course it had nothing to do with the fact he stood before a man who could crush him as easily as he could look at him.

"Oh? Were you thinking of anything _before_ you tripped?" The man raised a black eyebrow at him.

Blinking, Nikolai thought back to his previous train of thought. Taking in his surroundings he took in a sharp intake of breath. "Sir? Should you happen to specialise in combat?"

Looking amused the man gave a nod. "Certainly, I teach it in fact."

Nikolai's eyes shone. "Really? Would you teach me? Please!"

The man seemed to be assessing him. "We'll see. Tell me your name and take off that glamour firstly." Yeah, Nikolai definitely had a weird habit of discovering odd places and odd people.

Letting the glamour fall - his hair fell to the small of his back now - "My name's Nikolai Romanov Sir. What do I call you?"

"You can call me Daichi Sensei or just Sensei. Whichever you prefer."

"Sensei means teacher in Japanese right? Does that mean you'll teach me?"

"You're a bright one aren't you? Refreshing actually. But yes I will teach you. You wouldn't be able to find this place if you weren't worthy of being my pupil. I hope you live up to my expectations." With that he strode forward into the building, leaving Nikolai to hurry after him.

 **A/N: Daichi: PRONOUNCED: dah-ee-chee. Meaning & History → From Japanese ****大** **(dai) meaning "big, great" combined with** **地** **(chi) meaning "earth, land" or** **智** **(chi) meaning "wisdom, intellect".**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Bold Italics = Russian**_

 **A/N: Daichi Sensei is an original character I made up and so will be all Nikolai's teachers (excluding any of JK's characters I might use for formal education like Remus to teach him basic maths and literature). Just in case anyone was wondering I have tweaked Nikolai's name slightly. One of my reviewers told me Romanova with an 'a' was the feminine form so I've changed that. I've also changed his middle name to Aleksovich which is supposed to be after the father. I haven't outright told you guys who Nikolai's father is but if anyone thinks they know review and I might tell you if you're correct! If anyone spots one I've missed tell me and I'll change it.**

 _He groaned before lifting his head up. In front of him was a Japanese styled building with a beautiful garden at the front._

 _The building itself had a swooping overhang, allowing a large porch space to overlook the garden. Which had stone steps leading up to the low building. It even had a small stream running along the far front of the garden. Perfectly sculptured bushes and cherry blossom trees adorned the large green space._

 _In front of the building stood a man. He looked very intimidating. He was tall but lean, like a panther and he looked to be around thirty years old, but wise at the same time._

 _Recognising that the man could easily over power him and bring him back with one hand if he tried to run Nikolai approached the man warily._

" _Keep your back straight and walk with confidence child. You're not doing yourself any favours there." Straightening immediately at his tone of voice Nikolai unconsciously did just that._

 _Thinking of his previous train of thought and then taking in his surroundings he took a sharp intake of breath. "Sir? Should you happen to specialise in combat?"_

 _Looking amused the man gave a nod. "Certainly, I teach it in fact."_

 _Nikolai's eyes shone. "Really? Would you teach me? Please!"_

 _The man seemed to be assessing him. "We'll see. Tell me your name and take off that glamour firstly." Yeah, Nikolai definitely had a weird habit of discovering odd places and odd people._

 _Letting the glamour fall - his hair fell to the small of his back now - "My name's Nikolai Romanov Sir. What do I call you?"_

" _You can call me Daichi Sensei or just Sensei. Whichever you prefer."_

" _Sensei means teacher in Japanese right? Does that mean you'll teach me?"_

" _You're a bright one aren't you? Refreshing actually. But yes I will teach you. You wouldn't be able to find this place if you weren't worthy of being my pupil. I hope you live up to my expectations." With that he strode forward into the building, leaving Nikolai to hurry after him._

"Tie back your hair. It will get in the way." The man - Daichi Sensei - flicked a hair band at Nikolai without bothering to turn around.

Nikolai caught it with ease and plaited his hair quickly - Luna often asked him to plait her hair - before tying it at the bottom.

"Good reflexes and quick to follow orders. You'll do well if you carry on like that."

Nikolai vowed to himself to do just that.

Inside the building was a dojo area where Daichi Sensei turned to face Nikolai. Quickly scanning the room, Nikolai noticed it was made of wood with thin walls and across the far wall behind Daichi Sensei someone had painted the shadow of a cherry blossom like the ones outside, swaying in the wind.

"This is where I will train you in martial arts and once you have mastered that to my satisfaction I will train you in other areas of combat.

They started by Daichi Sensei showing him Katas and then the individual forms and stances. He picked them up quickly and once he had down the basic ones Daichi Sensei had him go outside and run the perimeter of the garden until he couldn't anymore. Then they worked on his strength by going through countless push ups to build up arm strength, sit ups to strengthen his core and squats for his legs.

By the time Nikolai had to go home he was exhausted and sweaty and he sure looked like a sight, but he was happy.

He thanked Daichi Sensei and promised he'd see him early tomorrow morning, before leaving.

He'd gone to Luna's house the next chance he got to tell her he had found a martial arts teacher so he couldn't visit as often as before but she just smiled at him and told him not to worry as she'd join him soon enough. When he asked her if she was interested in learning martial arts or combat she replied in the negative and after wishing him goodbye and good luck she skipped off, leaving an incredibly confused Nikolai in her wake. No matter how much time he spent around Luna she still managed to surprise him sometimes.

* * *

It was a month before Nikolai understood what Luna had ment.

He was sat next to Daichi Sensei who he grown quite close to.

"Why do you want to learn martial arts Nikolai?" It was quite a sudden question but not unexpected.

"Well you know I told you how I was adopted?" His Sensei nodded. "My birth mother left me a letter that appeared to me around three years ago when I found out I was adopted. My mother told me how our magic grew stronger with our physical strength."

"Ah. So you want to be strong?" Daichi questioned him.

"Well yeah, but that's not the main reason. In the letter she wrote me, she told me how she was born Russian and it was her first language. She gave me a book that teaches Russian. When I was learning the language I felt like it was my mother teaching me. Now every time I speak Russian I feel like she's with me, like she's proud of me. Not that I get to speak it much as I don't actually know anyone who speaks it except for me so it's mainly just me talking to myself but..." he trailed off.

His Sensei gave him an appraising look before looking off at the cherry blossoms swaying in the breeze. "I see. And what else did your mother write in that letter? If you don't mind me asking."

Worrying his lower lip, Nikolai replied. "She told me she specialises in combat and weapons handling. The weapons I can wait until I'm a bit older for, but coupled with what she said about our magical and physical strength, I wanted to learn combat but I didn't have anyone to teach me." Here he flashed Daichi a small smile. "I wanted something more to link me to her. I want to show I'm her son. Even though I know she'll love me no matter what, I want to do it for myself. I want to be like her." Nikolai was incredibly insightful for a five year old.

"I understand. I'll help you out as much as I can." Daichi still felt like there was something missing. "Was there anything else you..." This time it was his Sensei's turn to trail off.

Surprisingly Nikolai blushed. Daichi's eyebrows rose. "Actually there was something else. It was something I've wanted to do for a while but again, I couldn't find a teacher."

Nikolai thought of what his mother had written. _"As a child I found my magic flourished when dancing. Despite contrary belief, dancing is not a girls activity specifically. So if you want to, I fully encourage you in that path."_

"Your mother is right. Nowhere does it say dancing is just for females. In fact dancing is an incredible skill. It takes a lot of balance and coordination, both physically and in timing. It does well coupled with martial arts because it encourages fluidity."

Nikolai stared and his Sensei. Mainly because he hadn't realised he'd said that aloud and for his praise of dance. Nikolai didn't expect him to disagree with what his mother had told him, but he didn't expect him to be so passionate about it.

"Daichi Sensei? Do you...Do you know a dancer" He asked cautiously.

"Yes, my child. I do. She's a very strong, powerful individual." Well that explained it.

"I'm sure." He continued, "She would be willing to teach you if you were interested." Daichi Sensei looked at Nikolai who was blinking owlishly. He couldn't believe his luck. He'd gotten himself an authentic Japanese combat trainer and he might very well be getting a dance instructor. He remembered what Luna had told him a month before. He would be getting a dance instructor. He was sure of it. Nikolai broke into the biggest grin Daichi had ever seen on his cheeks. That had to hurt.

Daichi chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes then?" Nikolai nodded enthusiastically.

"Daichi Sensei? My friend will be wanting to join us if your dancer friend agrees to be our instructor."

"How can you be so sure child?" He questioned.

"She told me. I just figured it out."

"She sounds unique."

"She is." Nikolai replied firmly.

"Well then. I'm sure it will be no problem." Nikolai grinned once more. "Now get up and run some laps."

Nikolai huffed but did just that. The grin not quite leaving his face.

* * *

The very next lesson Nikolai arrived to hear Daichi Sensei conversing with someone. Knocking on the door before entering, he slid the door open to see his Sensei and a tall woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She had dark brown hair pulled up in a severe ballet bun and sharp grey eyes. She was wearing soft, black, tapered loose trousers close to the leg, a long sleeved thin shirt and a long cardigan that fell to just above the back of her knees.

Entering the dojo, he bowed to his Sensei and the lady who he strongly suspected to be Daichi Sensei's dance instructor friend. Well points to him for efficiency. That was definitely fast.

" _ **Daichi tells me you wish to learn dance, correct?"**_ The woman spoke in Russian. Nikolai cut his eyes to Daichi Sensei who was smirking. Looking back at the lady in front of him, he gathered his thoughts and replied.

" _ **Yes. I would like that very much. Daichi Sensei did not inform me you spoke Russian when we talked. My name is Nikolai Romanov. I'm pleased to meet you madam."**_

The woman smiled at him. It made her look a lot less severe. _**"Polite too. I'm Iskra. Iskra Sergeevna Belikova. You may call me Iskra Sergeevna. Yes, I've noticed Daichi sometimes has the habit of leaving out important information. He says it's just that I don't like surprises, but really it's because he likes watching people react to unexpected surprises."**_ Nikolai grinned. He liked her already. Granted, if she was anything like Daichi Sensei she'd get a lot stricter when it came to teaching.

"Hey! I may not be able to speak Russian but that doesn't mean I can't tell when you're talking to me. Anyway I thought you were supposed to be teaching not gossiping!"

Just as Nikolai had predicted Iskra Sergeevna got a lot stricter when Teaching. He was glad Daichi Sensei was always going on about keeping his back straight because it was one thing the strict woman didn't correct.

Nikolai had pegged her as a ballet dancer the minute she walked in the front door. That was the reason he really wasn't surprised when, "To start I will be instructing you in ballet. That will be the basis for all forms of dance I will teach you from this point onwards." She gave him a deep stare. "Any objections?"

Nikolai shook his head. "None at all."

Iskra Sergeevna was brutal. She had him stretching things he didn't even know he could stretch.

"We will be splitting your martial arts and ballet lessons equally. Monday through to Wednesday you will spend with Daichi. Thursday to Saturday you will bring your friend with you and I will be teaching you ballet and etiquette because no pupil of mine will disgrace me by lacking in the social department. Sundays you will have to yourself. Understood."

Nikolai gulped. "Yes Iskra Sergeevna."

* * *

Nikolai had his own room at Potter Manor so didn't have to share with Charlus anymore.

At the sound of a knock on the door Nikolai raised his head from where he'd been reading.

"Harry? Are you in there?" It was his Uncle Moony. Nikolai smiled. He got on well with Remus. He encouraged Nikolai's reading habits and tempered Uncle Padfoot's exuberant phases. Not to say he didn't get on well with Sirius. Because he did. Just as well as Remus.

Nikolai responded. "Yeah. Come in."

Remus popped his head in the door. "Hey there cub. What you reading?"

Holding up the book Nikolai grinned. Irony was a funny thing. He was reading Peter Pan again. Only this time it was A Paragon Classic instead of the illustrated Disney version.

"J. M. Barrie huh?" Remus looked impressed. "Do you understand it all" He made his way to sit next to Nikolai.

"Mostly. There are some old words in there but I can guess those." He spoke honestly.

Remus was looking at him oddly. "I'm not lying. I can read it. Honest." Remus shook his head.

"I'm not saying you cannot. I believe you can. I was just thinking of why I came in here in the first place cub. No need to get defensive." He ruffled his hair.

Nikolai cocked his head to the side. "Why did you? Come here in the first place I mean."

Remus smiled. "Well in the muggle world children would start their formal education at your age so I thought we might start yours. Your already quite advanced in reading. Especially for a five year old. I was just wondering how advanced you were exactly. Would you mind taking a test to show me?"

Nikolai bit his lip. He did want a formal education and he knew Remus was an excellent teacher. Very patient. But Nikolai already had a very full timetable. He'd only have Sundays free.

At the moment his family just thought he was spending his days with Luna. Pandora had met them a couple of years back to reassure them he was safe with her so he could play with Luna when he wanted. Actually on that front he'd moved away so how did they think he was getting to Luna's now they lived in Potter Manor? That was something to ask Pandora.

What to tell Remus? He trusted Remus. He would tell him the truth if only he knew he would keep his secret from James and Lily. Was it worth the risk?

Nikolai made his decision. "Can you promise to keep a secret? Even from James and Lily?"

Remus stared at him. He seemed to be debating something. "I trust it's nothing harmful? And if you have a good reason for keeping this secret I promise to you I will notbetray your trust."

Nikolai took a deep breath. "I'll tell you the first part and that you can judge for yourself. Firstly you have to know. Did you ever wonder why Lily never told you about her pregnancy with me? I just seemed to pop up out nowhere it must have seemed." Nikolai could see Remus looking at him calculatingly, almost like he was working something out. "That's because she never was pregnant with me. Lily isn't my mother and James isn't my father. My mother was born in Russia and due to some complications she couldn't keep me without compromising my safety. She apparated to England and Lily and James took me in. They put a glamour on me so that the people looking to harm me wouldn't suspect me as my mother's son." Here Nikolai hesitantly let the glamour fall.

His waist length hair was tied in a plait out of his face so Remus could easily see the change. His face became more heart shaped and his cheekbones rose. His hair grew and curled into his familiar dark crimson mane, now restrained. His limbs became more toned and his skin darkened fractionally. Due to the fact he had never reapplied the glamour to his height he was already quite tall for a five year old but it fit with the rest of his appearance. He was sure Remus had figured out that this was the reason for his unexpected height. Neither James nor Lily were above average in height so it did surprise people when they saw how tall he was.

"I figured it out when I over heard James and Lily talking about Charlus being the Potter heir as he was first born and what they should do if anyone questioned about me. That was also the day I learned about my glamour. It was the first time I removed the glamour too."

Remus looked shocked but not surprised. Like it confirmed some theories he had or justified some things he had noticed.

"What I want to tell you relates to that. It has to do with that I'm adopted, but it doesn't have anything to do with Lily and James and it's a private matter. Can I trust you not to tell James and Lily?" Nikolai stared at him intently.

Remus got out his wand before holding it up and clearing his wand. " I, Remus John Lupin, do hereby swear upon my magic that I will keep your," He looked at Nikolai with a raised eyebrow.

"Nikolai Alekseevich Romanov"

"Nikolai Alekseevich Romanov's secret unless it has the potential to harm those I care for. So mote it be." He finished by incanting "Lumos" the tip of his wand lit up.

Nikolai nodded, a wizarding oath wasn't absolutely necessary but it did mean he knew 100% that Remus would keep his secret and also that he trusted Nikolai enough to do so.

"Thank you."

"It's okay cub. I trust you."

Smiling Nikolai wove his tale. "Well, when I found out a letter appeared to me. It was from my birth mother." Shaking slowly, Nikolai reached under his bed and pulled out the book. Opening it he extracted the letter.

He extended it to Remus slowly. "Cub. I don't think I should. This is private. It's between you and your mother."

"It's okay Moony. I'm letting you read it. It will make more sense if you do." Keeping eye contact he held the letter again. Exhaling Remus took it. His eyes kept flicking from the letter to Nikolai. As if he was unsure if he should take it. Offering an encouraging smile Nikolai nodded his head.

They were silent for a couple of minutes before Remus let out a gusty breath. Raising his eyes up to Nikolai again he didn't say anything, just opened his arms.

Nikolai seemed to fall into him. It wasn't that he hadn't said it out loud before. He'd explained it to the Lovegoods and Daichi Sensei. But there was something about telling Remus about it and letting him read the letter that seemed to strain Nikolai emotionally.

"I'm guessing there's more?" Remus said once Nikolai finally pulled away.

Nodding - Nikolai seemed to be doing a lot of that - "I'm assuming you remember the part about how our physical strength also strengthens our magic? Well I got myself a martial arts instructor about a month ago and I've been studying under him for 5 days every week. I told him I wanted to learn dance and he knows a dance instructor who I've met with and she agreed to teach me and Luna. I now have martial arts with Daichi Sensei every Monday to Wednesday and ballet with Iskra Sergeevna every Thursday to Saturday. I want to learn from you but Sundays are the only day I'll have to do so. Will that be enough?"

Remus hummed thoughtfully. "I see. Well, going back to what I said earlier. You're already very advanced in Literature if what you're reading is any clue. I'll test you on your writing and spelling but I'm confident you'll pass that easily, although I don't know if you write rather than read so we might to work on letter formation and handwriting. Maths will probably be what we need to focus on. I know you know the basics as I can see some children's learning books scattered around here and I remember going through some with you a while back. I'm going to take a guess and say you're a fast learner. Your intelligence certainly shows that. If I could met your teachers I can arrange for you to take a couple of days off to go over a unit once we've finished one. That way, well be able to see how fast you learn and I can create a schedule. How does that sound to you?"

"That sounds awesome!"

 **A/N: Okay! This one took a lot longer to write than my past 4 chapters but now it's finished and I already have several ideas for the next chapter! I know it's kind of stupid to apologise for the massive Authors note at the top in the bottom one but sorry for that guys, I got carried away! Just as I am now! Oops! Ah well! Review people! I love reviews! GIVE ME FEEDBACK! Okay well that's it. Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay! So! I have received information (that sounds so shifty) that with Iskra, being Nikolai's teacher, he would address her by her First and Middle names. So that it what is going to happen!**

It had been a year since Nikolai's talk with Remus and their relationship had only grown stronger throughout that year. During that time Remus had convinced Nikolai to inform Sirius of his heritage and it turned out to be a great idea. Due to the Death of Sirius's mother he was the last living Black - as all his cousins had married and all his other relatives were really old – and that meant he had access to all the Black Family archives as the new Lord Black.

When Nikolai had told Sirius of his unusual family magic the dog animagus had made it his personal goal to find out as much information as he could about his Pup's magic and the Romanov family.

He had little success as it turned out the Romanov family was very illusive and what information they could find was vague and generally only mentioned the family in passing, seeing as they weren't a British wizarding family and thought to be nearly extinct and scattered across the globe as it was, Sirius couldn't find anything in the Ministry archives either.

Nikolai wasn't too bothered by that though. As much as he would like to learn more about his family, his physical training was coming along spectacularly and once he got to grips with the movements it came naturally to him. Not as much in combat as in dance but then Nikolai doubted anything could come as naturally to him as dance did. Once he started he couldn't seem to stop and it was like everything else fell away.

He finally knew what his mother had been talking about when she had said how her magic flourished whilst dancing. Most of his accidental magic had occurred when he was dancing. However it wasn't like most other children's accidental magic. Whilst normally accidental magic occurred due to strong emotions, primarily anger or fear, Nikolai's magic was completely different and it manifested itself in more physical ways.

For example, once he was spinning and he started going faster and faster until eventually his feet left the ground and for the small amount of time he was in the air it felt like he was floating. Afterwards Luna and Iskra had told him his hair had come out of its bonds and began to float around his face, as had his shirt. His head had been tipped upwards and apparently he had looked like a winged angel (minus the wings - which Nikolai really hadn't understood). He wasn't exactly sure what to make of that but decided it was a good thing and took it as a compliment. He'd come to peace with the fact that at six years old, with long hair past his waist, because he absolutely refused to cut it and as Luna put it, 'Very pretty features', that until he grew up into his more masculine features he looked fairly effeminate.

Another example of his accidental magic had been when he had been practising ballet in the great ballroom at Potter Manor that nobody used except him, but that the house elves had always kept maintained. He'd been so lost in the music he hadn't realised small jasmine flowers had begun to twist along his arms until he smelt them.

Jasmines had been his favourite flower since Daichi Sensei had asked him to help him out in the garden during one of his lessons. He had felt pulled towards the smell of the flower until he felt his nose almost touching it. It was a mystery as to why, but ever since then Daichi Sensei had kept a vase around the dojo with some jasmines in them.

The flowers probably hadn't helped him if he didn't want to appear effeminate. He didn't care though. He was entitled to like flowers if he wanted to.

Either way Nikolai's magic was truly something special and just like his mother's it flourished when he danced.

Iskra Sergeevna was still teaching them ballet but had also started them on ballroom dancing which both Luna and Nikolai found fun because they got to dance together. They did do that occasionally in ballet but that was generally more interaction than actual pairs dancing.

Nikolai was the best at dancing but Luna was probably the best to match him. She had a dreamy, floating aura around her that fit when she danced. She was agile and quick footed. Iskra Sergeevna praised them both when they danced, which fuelled them to do even better and reach even higher.

Daichi was also impressed with Nikolai's progress and had begun to teach him more powerful moves.

* * *

It was a Monday and Nikolai was just warming up outside the dojo when he saw three figures approaching. He called for his Sensei and asked him if he was expecting anyone. When Daichi Sensei replied in the negative Nikolai tensed.

Sensing Nikolai's tension Daichi Sensei put a reassuring hand on his shoulder to relax him.

"Not to worry Nikolai. I'm sure they mean us no harm. Would you like to come with me to greet them?" Nikolai nodded his assent.

Together they moved towards to new comers. As they got closer Nikolai could see the figures more clearly. There were two adults. Both of average build, one female and the other male. They didn't look particularly experienced in combat. But Daichi Sensei had taught him never to underestimate his opponents, so he kept himself alert. It was the other figure that relaxed him slightly though. It was a small figure, a girl if the bushy hair was any indication. Then again he wasn't exactly one to conform to societies expectations so he supposed he shouldn't really form stereotypes like that. Yet somehow he knew the figure was a girl. Around his age he guessed.

Beside him Daichi Sensei visibly relaxed so Nikolai supposed he had seen or noticed something he himself hadn't. He looked at Daichi Sensei. His Sensei nodded at him and made a gesture to confirm his thoughts. They were no harm. Nikolai let himself relax, but still he stayed alert. Daichi Sensei had taught to always be alert.

Nodding to show his approval his Sensei stepped forward to greet the group. Nikolai stayed slightly behind by not by much.

"Hello. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting visitors. My name's Daichi Hayashi. Who might you be?"

"I'm Robert Granger. This is my wife Eleanor and my daughter Hermione." The man - Robert – introduced his family.

"Nice to meet you. What might I be able to do for you? That is if you're here for me."

"We are. I don't quite remember where but I remember hearing about you from somewhere. I remember you teach martial arts or something in that vicinity?" He said the last part in a question.

"You would be correct. Why exactly would you require my services may I ask?" His eyes landed on the girl, Hermione. She stared resolutely back at him, though Nikolai could sense she was nervous. Daichi Sensei could come across as quite intimidating.

The girl broke the stare when her father started talking again to look at the floor.

"My Hermione here is having a bit of trouble with the other kids at school. We thought she might feel more confident if she knew how to defend herself. We were wondering if you might consider teaching her a few things."

By now the girls face was flushed bright with embarrassment. Nikolai felt sorry for her. It wasn't her fault and she had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Of course. But you must understand. If I take young Hermione under my wing, just like my other student, she will have to commit to it. I won't just be teaching her a few things but as much as I feel she is capable of learning. I'm very thorough with my teachings and it will take up a large part of your daughter's time. Do you feel comfortable with what I am suggesting?"

The Granger parents looked at each other for a few moments before seeming to come to a decision. "We think that's reasonable."

"Excellent. May I ask why exactly Miss Granger has been having trouble with the other children? Is she behind on the curriculum perhaps?" Nikolai knew full well why the girl had been having trouble with the other children. It wasn't due to being not clever enough but instead for being what they saw as 'too clever'. Children didn't like those that were better than them or didn't fit in and act like the rest of them. HE knew this and he knew Daichi Sensei knew this too. What Nikolai didn't know was WHY his Sensei was asking this when he already knew the answer.

"No I am not!" Ah. So that was why. The girl looked quite indignant at even the suggestion. He guessed that was the reaction Daichi Sensei had been looking for.

His Sensei crouched down to be eye level with the girl. "So I'm guessing you're quite advanced then? Ahead of the curriculum?" The girl nodded. She looked quite proud of herself. Nikolai thought she should be. They were only six and most children their age were still reading picture books. But Nikolai could see how that attitude might aggravate other children who weren't as advanced. Iskra Sergeevna had taught him and Luna that modesty and humility were some of the most becoming traits and they made people like you better.

He thought that the girl might benefit from some of Iskra Sergeevna's lessons. He wasn't trying to be rude, He just thought she might appreciate them.

Daichi Sensei stood again. Looking towards the Granger parents. "I'm not sure how you would feel about this, but with my other student," here he gestured to Nikolai, who nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Takes lessons with me three days a week. From Monday through to Wednesday. His lessons last the whole day. I'm suggesting Miss Granger here does the same. But if you're not comfortable with her missing school it might be better for her to come here after school and on Saturdays or Sundays so she doesn't miss classes."

Mr and Mrs Granger looked very hesitant to have Hermione skip any school. Nikolai himself would have expected the girl to have the same reaction. Instead she was looking at him. Nikolai smiled. It seemed her thirst for knowledge outweighed the possibility she might have to miss out on school.

The three adults gathered to talk and his Sensei motioned them all back into the building.

As they walked Nikolai could feel the girl's eyes on him. When he looked over at her she seemed to catch herself before blushing and quickly averting her eyes.

Nikolai just smiled. He didn't mind it really. She was just curious. There were a lot of things she could find curious about him.

Once they reached the cover of the dojo Nikolai stopped and turned to face the girl. Who, getting his cue stopped next to him and angled her body towards him.

She made the first move by sticking out her hand. It seemed her parents had raised her properly.

"I'm Hermione Granger. But you already know that. My father said it earlier. I was just wondering if you might be all right talking to me." She sounded a bit unsure of herself at the end.

Nikolai just smiled softly and took her hand. But instead of shaking her hand he raised it, like Iskra Sergeevna had taught him, and softly kissed her on the knuckles before gently lowering her hand. "Nikolai Romanov. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Granger. I would be more than all right talking to you. It's always nice to have an intelligent conversation."

Nikolai was naturally soft spoken but he wasn't quiet, so unaware to him, but to Hermione he seemed to be the perfect, smoothly spoken gentlemen. Which he was well on his way to becoming.

Hermione blushed but smiled at him. "Hermione's fine."

"Then you must call me Nikolai."

Once Daichi Sensei and Hermione's parents had finished their discussion they had gone off to find the children. They found them outside with Nikolai showing Hermione all the different flowers in the garden. They ended with Hermione's hair being intricately plaited with many flowers and a liberal sprinkling of jasmine.

* * *

"Hermione?"

Nikolai and Hermione were sat out in the garden whilst they waited for her parents to collect her. In the end her parents had decided to keep her enrolled in the school fully and have her come everyday after school until 8. That was just under 4 hours of training on school days. She also came on Saturdays.

Nikolai had introduced Hermione to Luna. After Nikolai explained Luna's eccentric behaviour, the two girls got along really well. Hermione loved Luna because she didn't judge her and in return Hermione didn't judge Luna and together they would make interesting conversations as both girls brains worked a little differently so could provide different points of view on a topic.

They also bonded on not being able to make friends very well, and on how both of their first and only friends (but each other) being Nikolai. Whom they both adored, seeing as with Iskra Sergeevna's lessons on both dance and Etiquette/Manners and Daichi Sensei's martial arts lessons and his teachings of honour, he was shaping up to be a perfect little gentlemen.

"Yes Nikolai?" She was giving him her full attention.

"Have you ever done anything strange at all? Maybe when you were scared or angry? Or maybe even really happy. Have you ever made anything odd happen without meaning to?" Nikolai knew Hermione was magical. She was a muggle born like Lily. For one, she wouldn't have been able to come here if she wasn't. This place was magical, and whilst you didn't have to be magical to be found worthy, most were. Nikolai had remembered Hermione's father couldn't remember how he had heard of Daichi Sensei. That was magic. Nikolai could also sense the magic in Hermione. His own magic seemed almost alive to him and when he was close to Hermione, just like when he was close to anyone with magic, he could feel their magic rubbing against his. With the people he was familiar with and had close bonds with he could sense easier. It was as if their magic tangled with his own. Leaving a little piece of it there so he could recognise them by their magic.

So he knew Hermione was magical. But he didn't want to just dump it all on her. He knew she could figure it out for herself. She just needed a little nudge.

She looked at him with a mixture of expressions. One was surprise, the other anxiety, another fear, one he couldn't describe but she looked like a scared deer in his headlights. But most curiously, there was also a glimmer of suspicion, speculation and a well of hope in her eyes. She had already worked it out. She just didn't know whether to believe it.

"Have you? Ever done anything odd?" Clever. Waiting to see what he said first before admitted all her secrets and suspicions.

Debating his options, Nikolai finally decided that showing her would probably be the best idea to get her to believe in magic.

Slowly, he picked a flower from the bench beside him. Holding it in his cupped hand he slowly lifted the flower into the air with his magic before allowing it to rotate. It began to climb higher in the air as it rotated faster, similar to what he himself had done whilst dancing. Only, with the flower, once it reached a certain height and the spinning became so fast the flower was a blur, he let it burst and hundreds of flower petals came bursting out of the one small white tipped flower and rained down over Nikolai and Hermione.

 **A/N: PRONOUNCED:** **hah-yah-shee** **Meaning:** **From Japanese** **林** **(hayashi) meaning "forest". Okay! So we have Hermione. Don't worry people. This is a Luna/Harry story. Hermione just hasn't met anyone like Nikolai before and I am totally guilty of fashioning him into a perfect little gentlemen. Because I can! And Yes! I am also making Nikolai love flowers! Because I am a girl and I want to! Kapish? Excellent!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay. So a guest reviewer told me how they don't understand why I keep posting parts of the last chapter at the beginning of a new chapter. That's fair enough, I have been writing these chapters pretty close to one another so it's not like I've forgotten. More that I like to write the story in a continuous flow so I like writing from where I last left off. However I realise for you guys it's not necessary to include so many of the previous chapter's paragraphs so I will try and include the last line from the previous chapter only. I'm afraid I don't want to cut them out completely as I like the story to flow that way but I hope you all enjoy the following chapter, most of you will probably just skip over the enormous Authors Note but either way, I'll stop now.**

 _Hundreds of flower petals came bursting out of the one small white tipped flower and rained down over Nikolai and Hermione._

Nikolai was 10 and Hermione and Luna had already turned eleven and gotten their Hogwarts letters.

Once Nikolai had shown Hermione magic by letting petals rain down over them it hadn't taken much more for her to believe him. But boy! Did that girl have a lot of questions! Sometimes Nikolai believed her to be like some kind of steam train that bowled him over with her copious amounts of questions.

It was okay for Luna! Once Hermione realised she'd get a lot straighter answers from Nikolai and quicker too, she'd aimed all her hundreds of never ending questions him until he had almost believed it would have been better to just wait until she was eleven and let McGonagall explain it to her like she had been sent to do.

Almost. But Hermione's heart broken expression and furious indignation when she found out that Nikolai had kept something so important from her would have been too much for him to handle and she would have made him feel like burying himself out of shame.

Plus, after that Nikolai and Hermione had bonded tightly. She was like his little sister he had never gotten. In everything but actual age. Though everyone in their little group - Nikolai, Luna and Hermione - knew that despite being the youngest Nikolai was the leader of their group and acted a lot more mature than his age. Though all of them had their quirks.

All of them looked extremely fit for their age. Nikolai from the training he received from both Daichi Sensei and Iskra Sergeevna. Hermione from Martial Arts and Luna from dance, plus all the hiking she did with her father.

It had taken Luna 4 months to move past her trauma over what had happened and her father even longer but they had started getting back into their schedules. It took longer for them to get over their grief and neither were fully healed. Neither was Nikolai, who had been present for the tragedy that was Pandora's death. Nikolai had been a honourary member of the Lovegood family and Pandora had treated him as her own son.

Him and Luna had been sitting in the same room as Pandora on one of Nikolai's precious Sundays off, which Remus had given him once he had begun to pass the Primary curriculum before they moved onto Secondary.

Pandora had been exploring one of the new spells she was considering creating when it had all gone horrifically wrong.

There had been a bang and a large cloud of smoke. Nikolai had jumped up, closely followed by Luna. Nikolai had used his magic to clear the smoke and what they saw behind it had been imprinted on both of their minds forever.

Pandora lay on the floor, half slumped against the edge of an ornate chair. Her eyes were wide and there was blood pooling around her chest and spilling down her torso. Nikolai and Luna had run to her as she pulled in shaking, agonising breathes.

They had tried to cover the wound and stop the blood, but there had been too much of it and the wound was fatal. She wouldn't even last until they could contact St Mungos.

She had smiled weakly at them. A small smile in comparison to her previous beautiful smiles that radiated love and happiness. Even in her death there had been something other worldly about her.

Luna had been sobbing and clinging to her mother whilst Nikolai knelt beside her and tried to staunch the flow of the blood. It hadn't worked. Nikolai could hear Pandora saying her last words to Luna.

He'd tried not to listen. Those words were for Luna, not him and he tried even harder to stop the bleeding. To do anything. He just didn't want to feel as helpless as he knew he was.

When Pandora had lifted her hand to his cheek, he had immediately straightened and looked to her. He had tears running down his cheeks and Luna was clinging to him, one hand fisted in his side and the other in her mothers hand.

"Niko." Pandora had called him weakly and he had let out a choked sob. She meant so much to him and these were his last moments with her. He had tried to be strong but it was too much. "I love you. Both of you. You're my children. Look after one another. Okay? You're both so special. You're strong and you're individual. Never let any one tell you how to be. And never be someone you're not. I love you. So much. You'll both do great things. I believe in you." Those were the last words she ever said.

With that, her eyes closed and her last breath slipped out. Her hands lay heavily in theirs and it was like a weight had been dropped on their hearts, both straining to comprehend the horror of what had just occurred.

Nikolai had sat there. Silently staring as Luna clutched her mother's hand to her. It wasn't until he heard Luna's strangled sob that he had snapped out of his catatonic state. It all came crashing down over him but he ignored it and pulled Luna to him.

Luna who had just watched her beloved mother die. Luna, who unlike others might have, didn't even try to pull away from his embrace and just buried herself in his chest and wailed until she passed out. Luna, who didn't once blame Nikolai for not doing enough, not trying hard enough. Xenophilius hadn't either. Once he'd come in to find them in the living room. A heavy silence over them and the body of his dead wife slumped against the furniture, Luna laying across Nikolai, passed out from emotional exhaustion. Nikolai just sitting there. Staring at Pandora with visible, sticky tear tracks running down his face. He hadn't moved when Xenophilius came in and he hadn't moved, hadn't even blinked when Xenophilius had dropped next to him, clutching his wife's body and checking her for a non-existent pulse.

Nikolai hadn't seemed to notice went Xeno had knelt in front of him. Asking him what had happened. He had only responded by clutching Luna tighter to him and staring into the man's eyes, but not really seeing him.

Xenophilius had fire called Daichi Sensei and told him to come over immediately because it was urgent.

When his Sensei had arrived, Nikolai still hadn't moved. He didn't respond when Daichi gently picked him and Luna up and carried them away. Only staring in the direction of where Pandora lay.

When Daichi had tried to clean the blood off of him and Luna he wouldn't release Luna. He held her to him in a death grip that, if she wasn't so exhausted, would have most definitely woken Luna up because it had to be hurting her. As it was it left bruises on her arms.

Not that Luna had cared. Once she had been able to talk about it she had told Nikolai that the bruises, in a strange sort of way, made her feel safe. They reminded her that she had someone to hold onto, someone who would hold her and support her when she could not do so herself. Someone who would never let her go. Through everything.

Nikolai and Luna had clung to each other whenever they were in the same building in the coming weeks. So much that Iskra Sergeevna had cancelled their dance lessons for two weeks but allowed them to remain in the dojo on the days she would have been teaching them. It helped them retain some semblance of normality to be going to the same place on the same days, as they had for years. Even if they didn't do anything but hold each other it let them know that not everything had changed.

It took Nikolai a good few weeks before he realised why no one else seemed to hate him like he hated himself. He had been helpless to do anything to save Pandora and he had felt utterly weak and pathetic in the weeks following her death.

But slowly he began to realise he couldn't have done anything to help Pandora. It had been out of his hands from the very beginning. Something everyone else had realised already.

After that Nikolai had allowed himself to heal. Knowing his current state was no good for anything and that he had be be there for Luna because her father was still in shock and so wasn't available.

Slowly, Nikolai had coaxed Luna into moving around, caring on with her dance lessons and got her talking about inconsequential things.

Now, though Luna still missed her mother terribly, she had learned to live again.

She was back to how she had been before, even if she did have periods where she just stared into space for no reason and only Nikolai could seem to snap her out of it.

Her and her father had gotten back into their hikes, it helped distract them when they went looking for their extraordinary creatures.

Hermione had been there for the both of them, even though she didn't know Pandora like the other two had, she mourned for their loss with them and helped them regain a sense of normality.

Now they were excited for Nikolai to get his Hogwarts letter, as they were going shopping with Remus. Who, as Nikolai's tutor, had been introduced to his other teachers and in turn, his friends and their parents.

It was his birthday and he had received his Hogwarts letter. He'd told James and Lily he was going to be with friends today so they had made a birthday breakfast and they did the gifting to him and Charlus after breakfast so they could do that with the family - including Remus and Sirius - before Nikolai left.

Nikolai's relationship with James and Lily had reached a mutual understanding and they were all comfortable to what they agreed on.

It had been about six months ago when the pair had come to Nikolai and told them how he was adopted. In turn Nikolai had informed them of how he already knew and once they'd worked a few things out Lily had taken off the glamour. She'd told him of how it was only meant to be temporary so he'd be safe from anyone who might be looking for him.

They had explained how they would have told him earlier, but because he had pulled away from them so much, they had been scared if they told him that they might lose him completely, but felt that he had a right to know before he turned eleven and left to Hogwarts.

Nikolai had understood how they had only kept it from him because they believed he didn't know and they were trying to protect him.

Home life was much less strained now and Nikolai, who no longer wore a glamour and once James and Lily had asked him if he wanted his name to be changed officially, partook in more of the family activities, creating a stronger bond with the rest of his family.

It took a lot of explaining on James and Lily's part, but the seven - now eight - year old understood how Nikolai was adopted but still treated him as the big brother he had always treated him as.

Nikolai's life was back to normal and he was about to leave for school.

Remus took them to Diagon Alley were Madam Malkin had commented on all their physical appearances. Stating how you rarely saw such healthy looking young witches and wizards who weren't members of their quidditch teams.

She'd also commented on their politeness when they had all spoken, Nikolai especially when he had kissed her hand and spoken with his naturally soft yet firm voice. Little did she know that they all took etiquette classes from Iskra Sergeevna. Even Hermione, who - because she came everyday after school - got time off of martial arts to join the classes.

Flourish and Blotts had been an eventful trip. With all three children combined with Remus, had entered the shop they had all picked out so many books the cashier had given them a twenty percent discount and still made a great profit. Hermione had been saving her spending money for the trip, Luna's father had given her the key to her trust vault and said she could spend as much as she wanted as long as she still left plenty of money for her next six years at Hogwarts. James and Lily had basically told Nikolai the same thing. Remus, who had been teaching Nikolai for years now, had refused at first when James and Lily had tried to pay him for being Nikolai's tutor. But after they made the point that he was living with them anyway and he wasn't working whilst he tutored Nikolai, it was only fair that they pay him.

Due to this, seeing as Remus didn't have to pay rent because Lily and James insisted he was part of the family and didn't need too, Remus no longer looked shabby. Lily had worked at her potion brewing until she could make the Wolfsbane Potion in her sleep. They had more than enough funds being a noble family as they were, and Remus no longer looked so tired all the time. Add that to the fact that he lived with his pack and he retained his mind on the full moons so he was more like an unwilling animagus than a werewolf and he looked so much more youthful than he would have otherwise.

He could afford good quality clothes and still had money to spend on books. Which he did. But he also spent a lot of that money on Nikolai's education and just Nikolai and Charlus in general. It always surprised Nikolai at how good of a gift giver Remus was.

No matter how many gifts he bought Nikolai, they all seemed to hold meaning. It was like he was drawn to things that he knew his friends and family would appreciate and love, so just bought them and stored them away for the appropriate times to give them.

They left Flourish and Blotts with significantly smaller money bags. They then visited all the usual stores to gather school supplies before lastly entering Ollivanders.

The store was old and dusty and made the hair on the back of Nikolai's neck stand up and pay attention.

All of the shops inhabitants whirled around when Ollivander appeared from the shadows. Making the wand makers eyebrows shot up.

Hermione went first to get her wand. It took a few tries but she got a 10¾ inch long wand, made of vine wood, and possessing a dragon heartstring core.

Luna went next and after multiple attempts, received a wand of exactly nine inches, made of oak and possessing a unicorn hair core. She stored it behind her ear.

Nikolai went last and he tried out many wands. Piling them up on the counter, Ollivander got more excited the more wands he tried.

Finally after looking at him curiously, Ollivander tapped his chin before diving into the back of the shop before coming back with a dusty box.

"I wonder." He muttered to himself. "Yes. I think so. Here you go. Give this a try."

Ollivander held the wand out to him. Extending his hand in a now practised motion, Nikolai picked up the want and slashed it downwards.

A warmth filled him and the wand let out a flurry of green and blue lights.

"That there is a very old wand, it has been in this shop for generations. Never before has it ever chosen a wizard in all the years I've had it and my ancestors before me. It is a very odd wand. Eleven inches long and made from the wood of a cherry blossom tree, infused with jasmine, it has the core of a Pheonix feather."

Nikolai blinked at his wand. It actually made sense to him. He had always loved the cherry blossom trees that his Sensei had in the gardens and his weird pull to jasmine flowers.

"I don't think it's odd sir. It makes sense. Well, except for the core of Pheonix feather. I can't explain that."

"Ah!" Ollivander was looking at him intently. "But that's part of what makes it so curious. The Phoenix that gave that feather, only gave one other. It's curious that the wand that holds that other feather was the one widely believed to have given your brother his scar."

Nikolai stared back at the man. "Widely believed sir?"

The man smiled at him. "Yes, well you never know how things will work out."

Remus herded them out of the shop after they had paid. But not before Nikolai obtained a wand holster. Despite his wands odd connection to Voldemort, Nikolai wasn't going to let it hold him back. He loved his new wand.

Not that it meant he was going to stop his wandless magic. Just that his wand was perfect for him.

Daichi Sensei had given him exercises and motions to do every day along with Hermione. Iskra Sergeevna had told him to practice weekly with Luna. Remus hadn't given him any work to do because he had already learned a lot and would be learning more at Hogwarts. He did, however get him various resources and stationary to keep on top of his work and reminded him to get all his homework done when he got it. Not that he really needed reminding. But they all did so anyway.

On September first Nikolai travelled with Hermione and Luna to Kings cross Station. He could sense the magic around the partition barriers right away and the adults led them and Hermione's parents to the barrier.

With them were James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Charlus – who had wanted to come and say goodbye – Xenophilius and the Granger Parents. And the first years of course.

After a few tearful Goodbyes and some floating luggage, Nikolai, Luna and Hermione were finally on their way to Hogwarts.

 **A/N: I changed Harry's wand! I Know! But it fit with the story and I wanted to give him that connection. I do not know Luna's wand type so I made it up. I always match the image of oak trees to being old and wise and whilst Luna's not old she has type of old, magical wisdom and I have ALWAYS imagined Luna with a Unicorn hair core. It just seems to fit her.**

 **Also, I know this chapter seems kind of distant. It's kind of just filling in the gaps and explaining stuff before they get to Hogwarts.**

 **I don't know where I'm to put Nikolai yet. But it will either be Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I haven't decided yet. But I am leaning towards Ravenclaw.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yes! Okay! I know in the books Neville has blonde hair but in this he's a brunette! Also I made up practically all the names for the sorting. Okay! Awesome!**

Turning away from their parents, the trio went to find a compartment. Nikolai had their bags floating just behind and above them.

They walked down the aisle of the train until they found a relatively quiet carriage. They found a compartment and Nikolai placed their bags above them.

Luna set her owl down beside her. As did Hermione. Nikolai had decided not to get an owl. At least not this year. None of the owls had pulled him to them and he could just use the family owl or one of the girl's if he needed to send a letter.

To be honest he was waiting for his familiar. He didn't feel it would be an owl, cat or toad like they had said in the Hogwarts letter. But he had seen a weedy second year boy with horn rimmed glasses carrying a rat earlier. So he figured you didn't have to stick to the list. They just said that to discourage any larger animals. Unfortunately Nikolai felt his familiar wouldn't exactly fit in a cat basket. But he couldn't be sure.

"Nikolai?" Luna pulled his attention away from familiars.

"Yes Luna?"

"You're not wearing your glamour. Are you telling everyone you're adopted?"

Nikolai wasn't worried about Luna saying this out loud. He had placed a silencing charm on the door and Luna knew that. Which was probably why she had asked. Hermione already knew he was adopted so he didn't have to worry about that either.

"No. But I look a lot like Lily and if anyone asks about the differences, I got the cheekbones from the Potter side of the family and the rest from the Evans. Lily's muggle born so no one knows what her family looks like and even if they did apparently I look quite like her father anyway."

Hermione and Luna nodded once he had finished. He'd told them of how Lily had taken off the glamour and she and James had let him change his name to Nikolai officially once they heard that he knew it.

They just didn't know whether or not he was going as Nikolai Potter or Nikolai Romanov.

"They may not be my birth parents but they took me in and they're my family too. Even if they can't replace my birth mother. I am not ashamed to wear either of my family names. For now I will be Nikolai Potter. Until I graduate at least."

After that they settled down for the ride. The train had just started moving when there was a knock on the compartment door.

Opening it, Nikolai saw a small, slightly chubby, brown haired boy, about his age. He looked terribly nervous and he was pulling a trunk behind him. It looked heavy and the boy was panting a bit with exertion.

The boy looked at Nikolai and his eyes widened. "S-Sorry. I was just looking for some other first years. Sorry to bother you."

Nikolai's face softened. The poor boy was scared of him. His Sensei had told him he had an intimidating presence and he knew he looked older than he was, but this boy seemed terrified of him.

"That's okay. I am a first year too. Would you like to join my friends and I. There is plenty of room." He stepped aside for the boy to enter.

Looking shocked, the boy hesitated before obviously making up his mind and stepping into the compartment. Nikolai took his trunk and manually lifted it onto the luggage containment shelves. He would have used magic but he didn't know how the boy would take it and he didn't want to get lazy by using magic for everything.

Turning back to the boy he introduced himself. "My name is Nikolai Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand.

The boy grasped it in a surprisingly strong grip. From his nervousness and dishevelled appearance you wouldn't have thought it. "Neville Longbottom."

Nikolai smiled. He had heard of the Longbottom family. "Alice and Frank's child I believe. They went to school alongside Lily and James. I've heard many stories about them if you'd like to hear." Remus had been good friends with Alice, as had Lily. James and Sirius had known Frank as well. Apparently the two had been school sweethearts and that romance had survived into adult life.

Unfortunately, Nikolai had also heard of the pair's terrible fate. He hadn't been sure whether to bring them up with Neville, but he felt a kinship with the boy in front of him. Not knowing his mother, Nikolai had latched onto any piece of information he could get of her.

Seeing Neville's face, Nikolai knew he had made the right choice. His face had dropped slightly at the mention of his parents but brightened considerably once Nikolai told him he knew stories of them. Obviously Neville didn't have many people to tell him such things.

"Could you. I mean, that would be great." Nikolai smiled.

"Of course. I can even owl my family to see if they can tell you the things I don't know"

Turning to Luna and Hermione who were watching the exchange curiously. They obviously didn't know about Neville's parents. Nikolai wouldn't tell them. That was Neville's to share if he chose to.

"Mr Longbottom, these are my friends. Their first years too. Luna Lovegood." Luna gave a dreamy wave and smiled serenely at Neville who just blinked and nodded.

"Nice to meet you Miss Lovegood. Just Neville is fine by the way."

"You too Neville, you can call me Luna."

"And me Neville, Nikolai is fine." Nikolai reassured Neville. "This here is Hermione Granger."

Hermione stood up to shake Neville's hand. "Just Hermione is fine as well. Would you like to sit down?"

Once all the introductions were over Nikolai started a conversation.

"So Neville. Do you have a familiar?" Nikolai wanted to know how many people were bringing an animal to Hogwarts.

"No. But I do have my pet toad that my Uncle Algie got me when I got my Hogwarts letter. He's not my familiar though."

"Where do you keep him? Do toads have cages? Is he in your trunk?" Hermione started asking questions.

Neville suddenly looked worried. "No. I was holding him earlier. I think I put him on my trunk when I knocked on the door but he wasn't there when I came into the compartment. Oh No! I can't believe I've lost him already. My Grandmother will go spare." Poor Neville looked close to tears.

Nikolai reached out and patted Neville's shoulder.

"Don't worry Neville. I doubt he's truly lost. The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. Either way. Nikolai's going to get him for you." Luna said this dreamily. Never thinking for a moment what she said was untrue. It wasn't either. Nikolai was already using his wandless magic to summon Neville's toad.

Not that Hermione or Neville knew that, seeing as apart from patting Neville's shoulder, Nikolai hadn't made much movement to find Trevor.

Nikolai had expected Luna to say something like that. Which is why he hadn't bothered saying it himself. Just as Luna finished, a toad came zooming into Nikolai's hands.

"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed.

Nikolai passed the toad, Trevor to Neville. Luna smiled at him and Hermione rolled her eyes playfully as Neville stared at Nikolai astounded.

"H-how did you do that?"

Nikolai just smiled again. "Think of it as accidental magic. I don't have to do an incantation. I can just think about what I need and it will come to me. As long as it's not too big or heavy. It's not accidental magic. More like a cross between accidental and wandless." Well. Not showing his magical ability in front of Neville hadn't lasted long. But the boy didn't seem to be a threat. Still, Nikolai watched his reaction.

Neville looked thoughtful. Nikolai found that to be good progress. When he'd first seen Neville he had assumed the boy might be frightened by that piece of information. With how he had been intimidated by Nikolai before, the young boy himself was pleasantly surprised. There was obviously more to Neville than he had first thought.

"Why are you here at Hogwarts then? Not meaning to sound rude. I was just wondering. Seeing as it sounds as if you could probably do this kind of thing already."

"That's okay Neville. It's a good question actually. I want to be able to do both. Almost everyone I know uses a wand so in one way it's a question of fitting in. It could also be viewed as experimenting. I'm a naturally curious person so I'm interested in what I can learn here. Also, Hermione and Luna are attending Hogwarts and it's a good way to meet people and make connections"

Nikolai wondered how Neville would take that last statement. It was a traditionally Slytherin view and knowing that, Nikolai had phrased so that he could view Neville's reaction to the Slytherin undertones. He was trying to gauge more of Neville's character.

Surprising him again, Neville looked at him before nodding. "Yeah. I think that's what a lot of traditional Purebloods and Halfbloods go into Hogwarts aiming to do. It's a good place to meet people you'll be working with in the future, and if you play it right you make a lot of good connections through the right people. I know that's what my Nan told me to do. I don't think she really expects me to succeed though." Neville looked quite put out at the end.

Nikolai raised his eyebrows at that. "Well then I just guess we'll have to prove her wrong. Do you think a friendship with a Potter could change her mind? If not, I'm afraid she'll just have to put up with me."

"You want to be friends with me?" Neville looked shocked. All the other people in the compartment were saddened Neville had such low self-esteem. Nikolai made a note to himself. He would have to change that soon. He wondered what Neville thought of martial arts.

"Of course we do Neville." Hermione was the most vocal of the group.

"Hermione's right Neville. Even if you weren't the heir to the Longbottom name, it wouldn't make you any less in our eyes." He could see that statement had lessened Neville's anxiety. He had obviously thought Nikolai had been doing that to create an alliance between their two houses. It saddened Nikolai to know many people would do so. "You seem like a great friend. Honest and loyal. Both admirable qualities."

Neville smiled and he looked so much happier than he had than when he had knocked on their compartment door.

With the heavy stuff over, the now quartet spent the rest of the ride talking about their lives before Hogwarts, their education, how Hermione, Luna and Nikolai had met. (Though Nikolai and Luna left a few things out). How Hermione had found out she was a witch. Their general likes and dislikes. Neville adapted surprisingly well to Luna and her quirks and Nikolai greatly enjoyed Luna's explanations and Neville's confused faces.

When it was time to change into their robes, Nikolai erected a partition between the boys and girls. With him and Neville closest to the door and the girls on the other side.

They changed quickly because Nikolai became drained if he held the partition for two long.

When it was time for them to get off the train, the small group of four kept close together. With Neville and Hermione at the front and Luna and Nikolai at the back.

They made their way to the boats with the other first years. Neville slipped a couple of times but Nikolai grabbed the back of his cloak to stop him from falling each time. When Neville thanked him, he only brushed it off and told him it's what friends did.

It was a quiet yet happy group that piled into a boat. They expressed their awe, the same as the rest of the first years when the castle came into view.

It was beautiful at night. A strong silhouette against the dark blue sky of the Scottish countryside. Its windows gave out a warm, yellow glow that screamed 'home'.

Nikolai grabbed Trevor when he hopped out of Neville's hands and reminded Neville to keep a firm grip on him.

The giant man with masses of hair and a gruff accented voice that was filled with warmth – whom Lily and the marauders had told him was called Hagrid and was really gentle once you got to know him - walked them up to the castle steps. Once there, with the hand not holding the lantern, he knocked on the door.

Handing them over to a strict looking woman in emerald green robes, with her hair pulled up severely on her head, underneath her pointed witches hat, Hagrid left. Though Nikolai wasn't sure where. He assumed it was to the Great Hall.

The woman led them past a set of massive doors and through to a small side chamber where she told them the sorting was about to commence and explained a little about the houses.

Once she'd left Nikolai turned to his friends, who – except for Luna – looked very nervous. Luna, he could tell, had her own worries but they were small and she didn't let them affect her. Nikolai himself was nervous but kept an outward appearance of calm.

He smoothed Hermione's hair down, using his magic to keep the frizz tamed, and pulled Neville's cloak from under his ear. They both looked at him gratefully.

He turned to Luna and smiled. She looked perfect. She was wearing the uniform with her wand stuck behind her ear. It was so her.

Tugging needlessly at her hair, just because he wanted to, she tugged his braid in retaliation.

They both grinned at each other before they heard some loud shrieks from the other students.

Spinning round they were confronted with a bunch of ghosts who were arguing with one another, seemingly not noticing them. Then one of the ghosts 'spotted' them. It was so obviously staged but hilarious at the same time so Nikolai didn't say anything. Though he did make a face at Luna, who giggled.

The ghosts floated off through the wall when McGonagall came back and led them into the hall.

They all stood bunched together at the front. Luna, Hermione, Nikolai, - and when they smiled encouragingly at him - Neville all stood with their backs straight waiting for the sorting to commence.

There was an old, worn hat sitting on a stool at the centre of the raised section of the hall, before the teachers.

It had a tear in the rim that looked a bit like a mouth. This suspicion was confirmed when the hat opened the aforementioned mouth and began to sing.

It sung about the houses and their key traits. Nikolai thought all the houses sounded good. Although he doubted he would go to Hufflepuff. Although he was loyal and hardworking, he didn't trust blindly.

He could be put in Gryffindor. But probably not. He was brave, but not foolhardy and he was much more likely to think about a situation before throwing himself into it blindly. As Gryffindors were known to do.

Ravenclaw was highly likely. He had a strong thirst for knowledge and he was sure that was where Luna was going to end up.

Then again Slytherin held a few of his key traits. Ambition and from what he could gather, subtlety and cunning. He would have to wait and see.

He was pretty sure Hermione would go to either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Similarly he thought Neville would do well in either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff.

As for Luna, he didn't see her going anywhere but Ravenclaw. Though maybe, because he had known her the longest, he knew she had an aptitude for all four houses. She had intelligence in abundance, and she could be very sneaky when she wanted to. She didn't shrink away when faced with a challenge and met it head on, she was also extremely loyal and when something caught her interest she would work hard for it.

For himself he knew that he would either go to Ravenclaw or Slytherin. In the end though, it was up to the hat to decide which house would suit each person best.

McGonagall began calling out names.

"Armice, Kennith." Got sorted into, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Branch, Elizabeth." Was another "HUFFLEPUFF!"

There were more. But the ones that stood out to Nikolai were,

"Flint, Marcus" Who was a mean, burly looking boy who got sorted into "SLYTHERIN!" only seconds after the hat touched his head.

Next was, "Granger, Hermione." Looking pale, the girl took in a shaky breath before walking to the stool and letting the hat be placed over her eyes. Nikolai could see her shoulders tense up as it did. She was sat there for a while before, "GRYFFINDOR!" The table on the far right of where Nikolai was stood erupted into cheers. Hermione grinned and winked at their group before running off to join her table. She sat down next to a ginger haired boy who looked to be a couple of years older than them.

Next came, "Greugen, Drusilla." Who was a pretty looking girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes. The hat took a while with her before announcing "SLYTHERIN!"

Not long after McGonagall called out, "Longbottom, Neville." Poor Neville looked terrified. Nikolai gave him a smile and a gentle push to get the nervous boy stumbling towards the stool. Nikolai stood with Luna and clutched her hand whilst they waited for the hat to make a decision. Neville seemed to be arguing with the hat. Finally the hat announced in a smug sounding voice, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville ran off with the hat and had to jog back amidst laughter. He sat next to Hermione who gave him a reassuring smile.

Nikolai tensed at the next name, giving the hand he held a reassuring squeeze. It squeezed back before letting go.

"Lovegood, Luna." Giving him one last smile, Luna walked forward and McGonagall hesitated for a minute before seeming to mentally shrug to herself and placed the hat over Luna's head. Wand behind her ear and all.

The hat seemed to say something before Luna daintily removed the wand from behind her ear and began to twirl it in-between her fingers.

He could hear Luna humming amidst the quiet of the hall and smiled, shaking his head at his best friend's antics.

After a little bit of thought the hat opened it's mouth. "RAVENCLAW!"

Luna bounced off the stool to the cheers and clapping of the bronze and blue bannered table and skipped down to the rest of the Ravenclaws, taking a seat next to a tall looking fifth year prefect.

A few more names were called and the group of first years became less and less until, "Penance, Elide." A dark brown haired girl with light amethyst coloured eyes detached herself from the group, only one person to his left and nervously made her way to the stool. This was a relatively quick sorting compared to some of the others, but still not instant and Nikolai wished it had lasted longer because after the hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!" McGonagall called out the next name. That was,

"Potter, Nikolai" A great quiet swept the hall. All murmurings ceased, before starting back up again in a flurry.

Things like, 'Potter! He can't be! He's not old enough!', 'I didn't know the boy who lived had a brother!', 'He doesn't look like a Potter', and the more surprising ones, 'Wow! He is good looking for a first year!', 'Honestly, where did those genes come from!' from some of the female population. Nikolai had definitely grown into his looks.

Nikolai kept his back straight and his head tall and walked with grace to the stool. Still not quite aware of how he looked to others, like a smooth predator.

Silence reigned once again and like Hermione, his shoulders tensed at the lack of vision.

"Oh. Hello. I've heard a lot about you."

Nikolai felt his eyebrow raise, though it was lost underneath the hat. "How would that work, Mr….." He trailed off in his mind.

The hat seemed to start, before chuckling. "Most just call me Mr Hat. Or rather, just hat."

"Well I thought, with you being sentient, that you might have a name. They gave one to the castle after all. She's named Hogwarts."

The sorting hat seemed to never have been asked, or rather told this by an eleven year old before and it (though Nikolai thought it might be of a man's mentality as he hadn't objected to Mr.) seems stunned into silence before letting out a loud laugh that the whole hall heard.

Many people began to whisper, including the staff and ghosts. The hat had never done that before. Neither Nikolai, nor the hat seemed to notice as they were still conversing intently.

"Very clever. Not many, almost none actually, recognise Hogwarts as sentient. They just believe her to be charmed. Or so saturated in magic that she responds to the magic of others, but not sentient. Very clever indeed. I have not been called by a name for many centuries child, but Godric did like to call me Ward. I would be honoured for you to call me by that name again."

"I in turn would be honoured to call you by your given name Mr Ward."

"Just Ward child. No need for the Mr nonsense. Now. To your sorting. My. This is hard. All of the founders would have wanted you to be in their houses. Mmmmm. Godric would praise you for your determination, bravery and strength. Helga for your loyalty and hard work, along with your dedication. But I feel those two would not suit you best. Now's where it gets hard. Salazar's House would take you far in life. It would give you many of the skills you need and you would adapt well to the House of Slytherin. But No. I think, had she been alive, you'd thrive under the watchful eye of Rowena. You're a free thinker, creative, imaginative, possess an endless thirst for knowledge and a way with words. All the skills Rowena was looking for in her students. Yes, you with your friend could make Ravenclaw great. That House has long been dwarfed by Gryffindor and Slytherin and their rivalry. Yes, I know just where you belong."

It had taken a while, but that had mainly been their previous conversation. The whole school waited with baited breath for, "RAVENCLAW!"

Just before McGonagall lifted the hat from his head. "Oh. Nikolai, anything you need, tell the portraits Ward sent you, or the Grey Lady should help **if** you know **how** to ask. Come talk to me sometime if you can. It won't take much. Hogwarts will love you." Somehow Nikolai didn't believe the hat was talking about the staff and students with that particular statement.

"I will. Thanks Ward." He replied in his mind.

"No problem child. It was my pleasure." Was the faint reply as Ward was lifted off of Nikolai's head.

Breaking into a blinding smile Nikolai nodded at Professor McGonagall before leaping down the stairs and walking in long, fast strides to join Luna at the Ravenclaw table, which was clapping and cheering loudly.

She gave him a radiant smile, which he was already returning to her.

"That was fun. I think I'll do that again." Nikolai grinned at her, clasping her hand over the table to give it a quick squeeze.

"Yes it rather was. I had a quite nice conversation with Mr Hat. I forgot to ask his name though. How rude of me. The Nargles must be working against me again. You didn't forgot to ask his name though did you Nikolai. I'm sure you wouldn't have" Luna was staring at him with complete faith and happiness. Once again she knew exactly what was happening.

Nikolai just smiled and squeezed her hand again. "Yeah. I got his name. I'll tell you about it later."

He turned back to the rest of the sorting just in time to see "Turner, Karin" get sorted into "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The rest of the sorting was uneventful. Ending with "Wood, Oliver" being sorted into "GRYFFINDOR!" and "Zennet, Charlotte" ending up in "SLYTHERIN!"

The head master got up and said a few words. He reminded everyone that the Forbidden Forest was strictly out of bounds – at which he looked at a grinning yellow and black haired (that had to be dyed) girl at the Hufflepuff table – and of the confiscated items which could be viewed on Filch's office door (he had heard about Filch from the Marauders, all bad things).

He then introduced the new addition to the staffing – seeing as the Defence against the Dark Arts changed every year – being 'Professor Hillton'.

Then the feast appeared and all the first year's eyes went wide. There were so many choices.

Nikolai and Luna carefully picked a healthy, but filling dinner. Iskra had been very strict about not eating fatty foods commonly. They didn't have to cut them out completely and they weren't worried about getting fat, but it was better on your body if you didn't have to burn off so much fat and sugar. It meant you could save your energy for other things. That being said, because they did so much physical activity daily – and they would continue to do so at Hogwarts - Iskra had told them they should never diet, but keep a balance.

A few of the people around the raised their eyebrows at the food choice but kept quiet, probably realising without having to be told, why they had chosen what they had. Perks of being in the House of Intelligence.

Once they had all eaten their fill and the deserts had disappeared, their Prefects led them to their common room. Nikolai memorised their route so they could use it to get to the Great Hall and out and around the castle tomorrow.

They gathered around a spiral staircase and the Prefects stood at the foot of it. With the first years stood around them.

"At the top of this staircase is Ravenclaw tower. Once we get up the stairs you'll find a door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle."

The other Prefect took over. "Knock once on the knocker and the eagle will ask you a riddle. You answer the riddle correctly and you get into the common room. Answer incorrectly and you'll be stuck outside until someone else comes along and can answer it. No password. You just have to answer the riddle."

"It's better that way because it gets you thinking and you don't have to remember the password." The first Prefect who had spoken added.

They all climbed the stairs. There were only eight Ravenclaw first years. Four boys and four girls. So they all gathered round the door as the Prefect knocked on the bronze eagle. The eagle's mouth opened and Nikolai briefly wondered why Ravenclaw's emblem held an Eagle, and not a Raven. Then decided it was probably because the eagle was sharper and more majestic.

Instead of a bird's call the bronze eagle head a soft, musical voice filled the air.

"Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?"

Nikolai grinned. He knew the answer. "A coffin."

"Exactly. You may enter." The aged wooden door swung open.

The Prefect smiled at him. "Very good. The riddles vary in difficulty. The eagle always makes sure the riddles can be answered as long as you think. As you get older you might find the riddles become harder. No one really knows how, but Ravenclaw must have enchanted the eagle to recognise the average age group of the people trying to get in to the common room and give the riddles accordingly." Here Nikolai hid a smirk. Sure, that may have been part of it centuries ago, but Hogwarts herself probably had something to do with it now.

They entered the common room. It was already filled with the upper Ravenclaw years, though many had probably gone up to bed already.

It was a wide, airy, circular room. Graceful arched windows punctuated the walls, with small alcoves for sitting in, hung with bronze and blue silk hangings. The ceiling was domed and painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. There were tables, chairs and bookcases. So many bookcases. Opposite the door stood a tall statue of white marble, set in a niche in the wall.

Rowena Ravenclaw. Nikolai recognised her from a few paintings he had seen in historical book and a bust of her head which he had seen when visiting Luna's house.

He stared at the depicted woman and she seemed to stare back at him with a quizzical half-smile on her face. She was beautiful, yet slightly intimidating. A delicate looking circlet had been reproduced in marble and sat atop her head.

Next to her was a door which Nikolai assumed went up to the dormitories.

The Prefect on the left cleared her throat to regain their attention.

"You'll have plenty of time to explore and observe in the coming week. For now you should get to bed. The dormitories are through that door. Girls on the left. Boys on the right. Breakfast starts at seven and finishes at half eight. You're luggage has been brought up to your dormitories. Goodnight."

With that the first years were herded up to this dormitories. Nikolai hugged Luna goodnight before going up to his dormitory.

He wanted to fall into bed straight away but knew it would be easier to unpack his things now than have to do it at four in the morning. Which is when he would have to get up. He finally finished after all his dorm mates had fallen to sleep and he changed into his pyjamas before pulling his blue hangings with bronze detail on them, around him

 **A/N: I got Ravenclaw's common room description from the books. Though it's not word for word I got the description from there. I always thought the Ravenclaw common room sounded beautiful so I hope I've written well enough. I also took Rowena Ravenclaw's description from the books.**


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning – true to his word – Nikolai got up at four. He dressed in a light t-shirt and tracksuit trousers. He laced up his trainers and placed his wand in the wand holster he had strapped onto his arm.

Quietly he slipped out of the dorm and then the tower. Following his mental path he'd made the night before he made his way through the castle, to the grounds below. He choose a secluded spot far away from the front doors, so is anyone came out they wouldn't see him.

He ran along the length of the lake and back several times before stopping to stretch, do his other daily exercises and start practicing his martial arts. He trained for two hours until six o'clock. At which time he went back inside.

He got back to the dorms at 6:20. Which was pretty good, seeing as he had to go through the castle to get there.

He travelled up the spiral stairs. Once he got to the door he knocked once on the eagle and waited.

"This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays kings, ruins towns, And beats high mountains down. What is it?" A melodic voice flowed from the bronze eagle.

Nikolai hummed in thought. "I believe the answer is time."

"That is correct. You may enter."

Nikolai quickly returned to his dorm room and slipped into the bathroom whilst all his dorm mates were still asleep.

He showered and dressed in his school robe.

When he returned to the dorm Alexander Johnson was already up and waiting. He smiled and nodded his head at Nikolai. Who nodded back before going over to get his bag and whatever else he thought he might need.

Before he left he shook his other two dorm mates awake before heading down to the common room. There he met Luna.

They caught up on what their dorms were like and Nikolai told her about Ward.

Once at the Great Hall their Head of House, Professor Flitwick began handing out timetables. Nikolai was pleased to see he had quite a few lessons with the Gryffindors, so he and Luna would have lessons with Neville and Hermione.

Their first lesson of the day was Charms with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Flitwick was a cheerful, enthusiastic teacher, who loved his subject.

He was an excellent teacher, which wasn't that surprising seeing as he was head of Ravenclaw. But Nikolai knew that a lot of Ravenclaws spouted out facts and expected others to understand them immediately. Whereas Professor Flitwick explained the concepts of Charms in detail and made sure everyone understood before moving on.

Next was Herbology. This they shared with the Gryffindors and Nikolai, Luna, Hermione and Neville all gathered around a table as they listened to Professor Sprout.

Professor Sprout was a firm, but fair teacher who believed in hard work and good work ethics. As her position as Head of Hufflepuff suggested.

Their other subjects consisted of Astronomy with Professor Sinistra. Transfiguration was with Professor McGonagall. Who was strict but didn't play favourites and expected a lot from all of them.

History was a massive let down. Professor Binns droned on and on about the Goblin Wars but neither his voice nor the content of his lectures compelled anybody to pay attention during his lessons so Nikolai and Luna ended up using their textbooks – as did many other Ravenclaws – to learn the subject themselves.

Defence against the Dark Arts was taught by a fairly mundane teacher compared to the rest of them. Especially considering the teachers Nikolai had had in the past. But for that he was grateful. Listening to some of the upper years, Nikolai had found out that the class was fairly unpredictable. Some years the teacher was perfectly competent. Other times the Professors were extremely poor quality or extremely eccentric. It made Nikolai glad he had Professor Hillton for his first year at Hogwarts.

Potions was taught by Professor Snape. Head of Slytherin. He certainly lived up to expectations. Though whether that was a positive thing Nikolai had doubts. Luckily the teacher didn't seem to have anything against him personally and actually seemed to avoid him more than he did other students in the class. He picked more on the Hufflepuffs than he did the Ravenclaws anyway. Though apparently compared to the Gryffindors he was extremely lenient. Though it was no secret he favoured the Slytherins.

The year progressed quickly and Nikolai found himself picking up spells easily. For most of the lesson he would spend it helping Luna if she didn't understand, if Neville and Hermione was in his class he would help them also, from then on he would work his way round the rest of the students who asked for his help. Though they were mainly Hufflepuffs as most of the other Houses were too proud to ask for his help. But those Hufflepuffs and few other students he did help quickly rose to top of the class.

In the middle of the first term he was called into his Head of House's office. There he was met with all the other Heads of Houses and the Headmaster himself.

"Professors? Have I done something wrong?" Nikolai hid his confusion and instead asked the obvious question.

It was Professor Flitwick that replied. "No Mr Potter. We wanted to discuss your education with you. We've all noticed you seem to be picking up the curriculum quickly. We were considering moving you up a year, but of course it is ultimately your choice."

Nikolai was vaguely shocked, but kept his composure. This wasn't completely unexpected.

"With all due respect Professors, I would prefer to remain in my year with my peers and my friends. I will be learning the same material, only at a slower rate. I have been friends with the Misses Lovegood and Granger for several years, and have developed a recent yet strong friendship with Mr Longbottom. I am reluctant to leave them as they were my original reason for coming to Hogwarts in the first place."

Nikolai took in their various shocked expressions before continuing. "Is there any chance that my education could be accelerated, yet I stay in the same year as my friends? Otherwise I fear I may have to decline your offer."

Nikolai finished his explanation/speech and waited for their verdict.

Surprisingly it was Professor Sprout who spoke up first. "I commend your loyalty to your friends Mr Potter and understand your reasoning. I, for one, would be perfectly happy to allow you to stay in your current year, but accelerate the curriculum for you individually, then you would receive an examination of some sort at the end of the year to certify or confirm you have learned and can retain the information."

The other Professors seemed to agree and each gave suggestions and talked amongst themselves – including Professor Snape – as to how they would accelerate Nikolai's education.

Finally they agreed on a course of action and turned to face Nikolai.

"We will be giving you the work to focus on in lessons. Once you have finished we will give you the next piece and so on. You will be given essay and homework to complete to prove your understanding. When that unit has been completed you will be expected to complete an end of unit test. This will be over-seen by Professor Flitwick as your Head of House.  
You will be expected to receive a certain level in each unit. Otherwise you will be asked to revise where you did not receive sufficient marks and re-do the test until we are satisfied with your results. Your Professor for each subject will tell you what is expected of you to get." Professor McGonagall explained the bases to him.

Professor Flitwick took over from there. "Once you complete a unit you will be moved onto the next one. Once you complete all the units in that year's curriculum you will be free to use the rest of the years lessons as independent study. You will do the end of year tests once you complete all the units. However, we won't be giving you the second year curriculum in first year for example, because you told us yourself you want to stay with your friends."

Nikolai nodded his head along with the Professors words. "You will also so your end of year exams, OWLS, NEWTS with the rest of your peers at the end of each year. So you will be using part of your study time to revise for them later on in the year. Free periods will be for if or rather, when you complete all the units before the end of the year. You will still be expected to go to lessons.  
However, during those lessons you will be free to study that subject as you like. For example, in Charms you will be allowed to study any subject of Charms you like during that lesson. You may also help other students. If you wish to work in the library during that period you are to come to the Professor and ask them for permission before hand. Likewise, if you want to study another subject in that lesson, for example, Transfiguration in Charms then you are to inform the Professor at the beginning of the lesson. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand." Nikolai nodded his head as well.

"Excellent." Professor Sprout exclaimed. "In both Potions and Herbology it will be slightly different and you will have to speak to both me and Professor Snape and we will explain how you are going to progress in our lessons, as they are both more physical and practical than your other lessons. I do believe that in History and Astronomy you will be advancing the same as everyone else in your year, as the former is more lecture based and the latter is based on the on the time and positions of the night sky. Defence will be the same as our subjects and we will talk to Professor Hillton about it. Next year, depending on the teacher that might change but for now Defence against the Dark Arts will be accelerated. I would also like for you to offer the accelerated Herbology to Mr Longbottom as he too is ahead of the rest of the year in my subject. Is that alright?"

"Perfectly so Professor." Turning to all the gathered Professors he bowed lightly. "Thank you all for this opportunity. I promise I will work hard and not disappoint."

"I believe we will hold you to that Mr Potter. Approach us at the end of your next lessons with us for details. You may join your friends now."

Sensing the dismissal, Nikolai left to join his friends by the lake.

Throughout the year Nikolai flourished in his accelerated program and he was learning quickly. He had completed all of the first year curriculum by the Easter holidays. As had Neville in Herbology.

He took to practicing the spells he learned and applying them wordlessly, then windlessly, then without an incantation in his head. Until he could do all the spells using just intent. It was harder now Nikolai used a wand, but once he got practicing it came easier to him.

Together he and Luna had found an empty ballroom on the seventh floor. One of the portraits had directed them to it when Nikolai had asked if there was any place they could practice dance and that Ward had told him to ask the portraits for directions.

The portrait had told them to pace in front of the room three times and think of what they wanted. Apparently it was called the come-and-go room, or the room of requirement. It would produce whatever you needed. Nikolai and Luna used it on weekends for dancing.

Nikolai also introduced Hermione and Neville to it. Together with Hermione they also used for martial arts practice in the mornings once it got colder.

Nikolai had not once been caught on his morning excursions. There had been many close calls. But whenever he was close to getting caught Hogwarts halls would produce a secret passageway or hiding place for him to flee from any would be captors.

One memorable time, Filch had been just round the corner, Nikolai could even hear him muttering to himself. Nikolai had been panicking because there was no place to go and he was in a particularly long corridor with no doors branching off the sides and no hidden passageways he was aware of. Remembering what Ward had said, he had whispered a prayer for Hogwarts to help. Then, the very floor itself had seemed to swallow him up.

He had been deposited on the floor above, just round the corner from Ravenclaw tower.

It was during the Easter holidays – Nikolai had opted to stay at Hogwarts – that he fulfilled his promise to Ward.

He had been wandering the corridors, exploring the castle. When he had come across a remote balcony, facing the far mountains on the Eastern side of the castle.

It was a beautiful sight. The balcony was overgrown with vines, but not terribly so. You could still walk on it easily. There were jasmine flowers growing on it too. Which stumped Nikolai because jasmine flowers did not grow in Scotland. The only reason they grew in Daichi Sensei's garden was through magic. Though that thought led Nikolai to believe these had been placed here with magic also. For what reason, Nikolai did not know. Jasmine flowers just seemed to have a way of finding him.

Either way it was truly a beautiful haven. The only living thing that seemed to have touched the balcony for years, were the vines and flowers twined around the thick, stone railings.

In that respect Nikolai had been correct. No _living_ person seemed to be aware of the balcony. That wasn't to say that no person was aware of it however.

As Nikolai stepped out onto the balcony, he heard a voice that made him spin around, until he was pressed against the edge of the balcony.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

He looked at the person who had spoken. She had long waist length, presumably dark hair. She wore a floor length cloak that covered her whole body, and she stood tall and proud. Though slightly intimidating, Nikolai felt reassured she couldn't hurt him.

Before him stood the Grey Lady of Ravenclaw tower. She stared at him with her translucent, dark eyes.

"My Lady, I apologise, for I wasn't aware this balcony was occupied. I just happened upon it in my wanderings of the castle. It is a truly beautiful place. I'm Nikolai Potter. A first year Ravenclaw." Nikolai bowed respectfully to her.

The ghost surveyed him. Her eyes seemed calculating and she seemed to be trying to figure something out.

Finally she spoke. "They call me the Grey Lady. This place hasn't been walked upon by the living for almost a thousand years. The flowers have stasis charms on them. It seems Hogwarts herself favours you, young one. For else you would never had found this place."

Nikolai started. That was a long time for any section of such an inhabited castle to go untouched. It wasn't like the balcony was particularly hidden either, so it must hold many enchantments. The questions was why?

"If I may ask, why so secluded and concealed. What importance does this place hold to Hogwarts or her founders?" Nikolai assumed that given the time it was last visited by the living, that it was when the founders themselves lived. As then the founders that would have been able to apply such heavy wards or charms.

"You are intelligent aren't you? I can see why the Sorting Hat placed you into the House of Intelligence. You are very sharp."

"Ward believed I can bring Ravenclaw House out of the shadow of the Gryffindor, Slytherin feud. I'm not sure exactly how I'm supposed to do that, but I'll try my best. The tension between those two Houses is almost palpable, and that's not including the competition for the Quidditch or House cups. I do hope Ravenclaw gets it this time though. We're definitely skilled enough to." Nikolai turned to musing near the end and as a result didn't realise how the Grey Lady was staring at him.

"Ward?" She questioned him.

Nikolai realised he wasn't expected to know the name of the Sorting Hat. He assumed all the ghosts and paintings knew Ward's name, as the hat himself had told Nikolai to ask any of the paintings his questions and the ones Nikolai had spoken to had responded accordingly.

He realised that some of the ghosts might not know of Ward's name. What with them being born at various points in time. He didn't know everything about Hogwarts gossip system after all.

However, with what the Grey Lady had said before, he assumed she had been around since the time of the founders. Using that knowledge Nikolai also assumed that meant she was confused as to how he knew Ward's name and not who Ward was.

"Yes my Lady. I spoke to him during my sorting. He asked me to visit him at some point. But unfortunately I haven't gotten round to it yet." Nikolai would have asked her if she could direct him to ward's locating, but she had not yet answered his original question.

He relaxed slightly from his tense position and leant against the balcony edge, comfortably conversing with the Ghost of Ravenclaw, the Grey Lady.

"But I was wondering why so concealed?" He gently prompted the conversation back to the previous subject.

The Grey Lady looked him over before smiling slightly. Something which made her look a lot more beautiful than her normal, serious expression.

"This balcony was my mother's safe haven when she was alive. When the hustle and noise of the day to day proceedings where over she would come here for the peace and serenity. My mother always appreciated beauty and she'd sit here as she read or researched her various interests." The Grey Lady motioned to a wooden, high backed chair, tucked away on the far corner of the balcony that Nikolai hadn't noticed earlier.

Nikolai was developing some suspicions as to who the Grey Lady's mother was. What wither being presumably from the founder's time, her mother being the studies sort and living in the castle. But he didn't address his suspicions, and instead waited for the Lady to continue her tale.

"She set up wards and charms so the students and faculty couldn't disturb her whilst she was here. There were only three people other than her and myself that were allowed here, and even then it was only for matters of great importance, or if she personally invited them." She gazed at me, her head tilted slightly to the side. "Do you know who those three people where Mr Potter?"

"Assuming I am correct in my presumptions, might they be, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin?" Nikolai met her gaze and smiled when she nodded at him.

"Exactly. My mother didn't want anybody having access to her research or her items of value. So she told only those she trusted of this balcony."

It was here that Nikolai realised why the Grey Lady was stood where she was. Behind her, almost unnoticeable, lay an overgrown, wooden door, inlaid with spiralling patterns.

Turning his attention back to the Grey Lady, "My mother kept all her private research and heirlooms in the room branching off from this balcony. It was like a private study of hers."

"Is that why you're guarding it then?" Nikolai questioned her gently, he didn't want her to think he was trying to take anything form the room. He wasn't. "It would make sense. Especially if your mother kept her lost diadem in there. I wouldn't want just anybody to be able to take it."

The Grey Lady's face seemed to twist. But not at Nikolai. It was a curious expression, almost as if she was remembering something unpleasant.

"Unfortunately, not letting 'just anybody' into the room wasn't enough. My mother's diadem was stolen. Many, many years ago. Back when she was still alive."

Nikolai would have thought the Grey Lady was just saddened, but her expression and the tone of her voice suggested more. Like guilt.

"Do you know who stole it?" Nikolai's voice was quiet, barely there. He knew it was a sensitive question, but his curiosity got the best of him.

The Grey Lady stared at him. Then her grey eyes became unfocused, almost as though she were looking through him at something. Before she turned her head to the side.

"I'm sorry. That was a sensitive question. Thank you for telling me everything you have. I won't tell anybody else." Nikolai spoke gently and softly as he turned to go. "It's not my story to tell."

He gracefully made his way back through the balconies entrance.

"Wait!" Nikolai turned back to the balcony to see the Grey Lady staring after him. "I want to tell you."

Nikolai walked back to the balcony and leant against the edge once more. He waited patiently for the Grey Lady to gather her thoughts.

"When I was younger, I was envious of my mother. Of her intelligence and her beauty. I sought to make myself cleverer than her. More important. You were correct in your thought that my mother kept her diadem in here." She motioned to the door as she looked to Nikolai.

"One night, I stole the diadem from her. I took it and ran. I fled to one of the most remote countries in the world. Taking refuge in Albania, I believed my mother wouldn't think to look for me there. In my foolishness I forgot how my mother was perhaps the most intelligent woman alive at that time. But she was ashamed of my betrayal of her and she told no one of the loss of her diadem."

If ghosts could cry, Nikolai was sure the Grey Lady would be. As it was, she took a moment to compose herself.

"It was only when she became fatally ill that she finally sent someone after me. Despite my betrayal of her, she only wished to see me before her death. She sent a man who had long loved me, and who she knew would not stop until he had found me. Even though I had always spurned his advances. He found me in the forests of Albania, where I hid my mother's diadem in a hollow tree. When he confronted me I refused his request to return to my mother and dismissed his affections of me. He became enraged."

Gently she moved aside her long cloak to reveal a stab wound on her pale chest, just below her collarbone. "He stabbed me in his fury. Once he saw my dead body and realised what he had done, he stabbed himself several times in his grief. Finally he died and eventually we both returned here as ghosts." She let her cloak fall over her wound once again.

"As they say, each ghost has unfinished business. I am grounded here for my betrayal and treachery of my mother. Something that haunts me more than the numerous ghosts do these walls. He for his guilt and self-hatred over my death."

Nikolai was stunned. That had not been what he had expected.

Something about her story clicked in his mind. "The Bloody Baron." He murmured.

"Yes. That is him."

Nikolai looked at the Grey Lady. He felt weird calling her that now she had shared her story with him. Now he knew who she really was.

"May I call you by your name? Or would you prefer the Grey Lady?"

She smiled faintly at him. "Helena, please. I do not want all to know of my relation to my mother. I do not deserve her name."

"If that is your wish, Lady Helena. In return I would be more than happy for you to address me by Nikolai."

"Nikolai it is."

He bowed to her. "Lady Helena, if I may. To me it is obvious you are beyond remorseful at what you have done. If it helps any, from your story, I do believe your mother forgave you. We are, after all, only human. We all have weaknesses."

"You're very wise Nikolai. But I'm afraid I am not ready to forgive myself. You must come back here again. I am sure my mother would agree that a wise child such as yourself, is worthy to continue on her work." She smiled properly this time.

"After all, Hogwarts herself led you here to do so."

Nikolai expressed his honour, before continuing on his exploration of the castle. His mind still on the previous conversation. Helena's words ringing in his ears.

' _After all, Hogwarts herself led you here to do so.'_ It seemed as though his life was just full of surprises.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey guys, I just finished Work Experience, and it's the summer holidays in two weeks so I** _ **should**_ **be able to update more regularly then. I've been on a kind of dip in this story, but I've regained my inspiration. A lot of you were asking for the first meeting between Nikolai and Natalia. So I hope you guys like this chapter. Also, there has been a slight time skip. But this is just because nothing interesting has been happening over Nikolai's first three years that I won't cover later. Enjoy the story!**

It was the summer break and Hermione, Neville, Luna and Nikolai had arranged with their guardians to let them visit muggle London on their own for a week.

All four were doing exceptionally well in their studies. Nikolai was at the top of his year, he had finished the third year curriculum half-way through the year and so had spent the rest of the ears lessons working on some material the grey Lady had given him access to.

Hermione and Luna were close behind Nikolai, with Luna being better on the practical and Hermione better on the theory.

Neville had improved vastly as well. Since their first year he had come out of his shell greatly. He was a lot less clumsy, mainly due to Nikolai spending Sundays training Neville in basic self-defence to help his co-ordination. That also meant Neville had lost his baby fat and he was quite muscled for the average 13 year old wizard.

After his first year at Hogwarts Daichi Sensei had contacted a friend of his (he seemed to know all the best teachers) who had agreed to train Nikolai in weapons combat.

Nikolai had flourished under his tutelage and now kept two hunting knifes and various throwing knifes concealed around his body.

But the area where Nikolai worked best was with a bow and arrow.

It was almost inhuman how well he worked with one.

He felt comfortable with one in his arms and could hit any target – moving or stationary – in the bullseye.

After that Nikolai had focused on other weaponry, but he always came back to the bow and arrow.

Nikolai was also highly proficient in wandless and wordless magic, spending his time, when he wasn't studying or training, practicing in casting spells using just intent.

He had informed their guardians of this fact and it was probably for that reason they were allowed to travel through London alone. Though Nikolai doubted they were completely unsupervised. He wouldn't be surprised to find a tracking device on each of them.

But right now he had much more important things to worry about.

Like the fact that they were being watched. Nikolai could feel eyes on him, which was making him anxious, which was making his magic act up, which alerted Luna to his discomfort, which made her look around her, sensing the eyes, which made her anxious, which made Hermione anxious, which made Neville anxious and only Nikolai and Luna had any clue as to why.

Which gave them a large group of high strung, anxious 13/14 year olds.

Nikolai sighed, before guiding his group away from the crowds, to a more secluded, open green space, where Nikolai could easily see people passing by and there was a lot more open space.

"Niko?" Luna was watching him, waiting for his reaction.

Nikolai locked eyes with her. He smiled at her, which had the result of her visibly relaxing.

"As far as I can tell, they're not harmful. But I don't know why they're watching us, or their intent. We should be careful and try and stay in highly populated areas. Don't leave the group what so ever. Understood?" Nikolai addressed the whole group, which clued the other two into the fact they were being watched.

"Are we safe? Should we tell someone?" Hermione looked scared.

Nikolai worried his lower lip before shaking his head. "It's okay Mione. I might just be over reacting. It could be nothing. We shouldn't let this ruin our trip. Just be aware, stay together and everything should be fine." Nikolai smiled at them, trying to reassure them.

Hermione looked conflicted, but let out a deep breath and nodded.

Neville nodded too.

Luna just smiled serenely at him and Nikolai felt his lips tug up into a grin.

"Okay. Let's go enjoy ourselves."

They quartet walked through the streets of London, sightseeing and observing how the muggles acted for future reference. (Mainly Neville)

They had just entered a crowded street when Nikolai felt a presence behind them.

When he looked around though, there was no one here.

But what he did notice, was that Neville was gone.

Hermione and Luna had twisted round when he had and so when they saw Neville gone, Luna gripped his arm, her nails accidentally digging in as she drew in a shocked gasp. Hermione let out a small cry of alarm.

She spun around in a circle, trying to spot Neville.

"Neville! Neville! Where are you?"

Suddenly Nikolai caught a flash of something from the corner of his eye. His head whipped towards it and the two girls followed his motion.

Hermione raced off towards whatever it was, Nikolai tried to grab her, but there were too many people.

"Hermione! Stop!" He tried yelling after her, but she kept on running. Years of training with Daichi Sensei had made her quick and by then she had already reached the side road and disappeared around the corner.

Nikolai swore in Russian.

He turned to Luna. "This is probably a trap. But we have to go and get them back. You can stay here." She gave him a doubtful look. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Just stay behind me. If we get separated, yell, okay?" Luna nodded the affirmative.

They started off towards where Hermione, and presumably Neville had disappeared to.

Just as they reached the corner, Nikolai held his arm out to stop Luna from going any further.

He stuck his head round the corner. There was no one there. Nikolai's brow creased in a frown.

Something was wrong, but he couldn't figure it out. He looked in the shadowed doorways and found nothing there.

He carefully made his way down the alley way, Luna close enough that he could almost feel her hair brushing against his back.

About mid-way through he felt someone closing in behind them, but when he spun around the dark figure had already grabbed Luna, who let out a muffled shriek.

Nikolai lunged for her, he viciously pulled her from the masked man and placed her behind him, all the while cursing himself. He had been so preoccupied worrying about his friends that he had forgotten to look up.

It was obvious the man had come from the roofs, as he was wearing a cord that was attached to the top of one of the buildings.

Luna's hand was tightly curled in his shirt. He didn't have the heart to tell her to let go, and he felt better knowing she was there. Instead he pulled a knife from one of his boots.

The man stood across from him seemed to do a double-take. Obviously he hadn't been expecting for Nikolai to fight back.

Nikolai didn't wait for him to regain his composure. As soon as Luna loosed her grip on him he struck. The knife slashed across the man's torso and he backpedaled. Nikolai kept on slashing at the man, who now had a freshly bleeding cut across torso. The man was forced to retreat and once he got the opening, he jumped up and the cord hauled him back up to the top of the building.

Nikolai was tensed, but the man didn't come back down. He turned to Luna who had been silent up to this point.

Dread pooled in him at what he saw. Luna wasn't there. On the floor lay her silver bracelet her mother had made for her when she was younger. Luna had worn it for years, it grew as she did and she never took it off.

That it was here meant Luna had purposefully dropped it.

Nikolai cursed himself. It was another stupid mistake of his to assume there was only one of them.

He picked up Luna's bracelet and tightened it round his own wrist.

Pulling out a throwing knife in his other hand he stood ready. Waiting for the next person to make a move.

Somebody dropped from a roof behind him and Nikolai slashed out as he spun. He kicked out, making the person jump to the side, where Nikolai threw a knife, grabbing another one as soon as it loosed from his hand. It impacted in the man's right bicep and he let out a pained hiss, before pulling the knife out of his arm and throwing it to the side.

Interesting. That probably meant that for whatever reason they were trying to capture him, he wasn't supposed to be injured. Most people would have utilized the weapon against him.

Fortunately for Nikolai, he didn't have the same restrictions as the masked man.

He threw another knife. This one embedded itself in the man's calf when he twisted to avoid it.

The man retreated, but didn't ascend to the roof. Nikolai figured that was where they were keeping his friends.

He looked around, but didn't see a ladder or set of stairs anywhere, not even a fire escape.

Magic whirled inside his body and without much of a thought, Nikolai pooled it into his legs.

He jumped onto the wall and the man behind him swore, before tugging on his cord to bring him up.

Nikolai raced to the top of the building. He swung himself over the edge and his red hair burst out of its band violently.

He looked around, scanning the roof top before his eyes came to rest on his friends, bound and unconscious on the far side of the roof top.

Racing towards them, he pulled up short as the masked man jumped up in front of him.

Irritation made his magic flare up. But he pushed it down.

It wouldn't do to draw any more attention to himself than was absolutely necessary. The wall climbing could be explained as parkour, adrenaline, or the man exaggerating things.

"Just come quietly and nobody needs to get hurt." The man's voice was very generic and held no memorable quality to it. Neither did his stature. Which would make it difficult for him to be recognized, seeing as he was wearing a mask.

Nikolai just scowled at him. Remembering where he had hit him earlier, Nikolai bought his foot down on the man's calf, making him cry out in pain. Then Nikolai used the hand that wasn't holding a knife to jab him in the throat.

The man was knelt on one knee, but still managed to roll out of the way when Nikolai bought his knee up to catch the man in the chin.

Masked man number two (as Nikolai decided to dub him) got up onto his feet, but it was obvious his injuries were hindering him.

Nikolai threw another knife and the man had to lean over the roofs edge to doge it, which made his balance unsteady.

Nikolai didn't wait to see what happened, he was already running to his friends.

He had just made it to Luna and was using his hunting knife to cut the ropes binding her.

Unfortunately he had forgotten about masked man number one. Who had disappeared what seemed like hours ago, when Nikolai had slashed at his torso.

"Stop right there sonny." It came from behind and Nikolai froze. Not at the command, but at the gun he felt trained on his neck.

Nikolai debated the pros and cons of going with the man. With one fluid motion he turned around and flung his hunting knife head over heel towards the man. The man in question quickly shot the gun at him.

Nikolai would have moved. But he realized that it wasn't a bullet coming towards him, but a dart of some kind. Though that wasn't the reason he didn't move. He realized that if he dodged the dart, it would hit Luna, and he didn't know what it would do to her when they had already obviously drugged all his friends with something or another.

He cursed himself for what seemed like the hundredth time that day for allowing them all to get into this kind of fix.

Then his vision went blank. But he saw, with satisfaction that his knife had embedded itself in the man's shoulder.

SHEILD Headquarters was in havoc. There were agents dashing everywhere and Natalia knew it had something to do with the jet that had flown in, not even an hour ago.

Apparently it had come from England. Two of the agents on the plane had been rushed to medical. They had sustained a lot of blood loss, so Natalia hadn't been allowed into the infirmary to question them.

She had been summoned to Fury's office, were she met various other people, Agent Hill, Agent Coulson, Fury, and the rest of the Avengers sans Stark.

"What's going on?" She moved to stand next to Clint, who angled his body to include her.

"We're not sure yet." He murmured to her. "Fury just ordered us all here and he looks right pissed too."

He was right. Fury was in a foul mood. He was glaring at anyone and everything.

Right at that moment was when Tony waltzed in and Natalia could feel Fury's ire direct itself towards the famous playboy millionaire turned super hero.

"Glad to see you're in no rush Stark. Wouldn't want to see you in any discomfort would we." Fury's voice was so thick with sarcasm it obviously made Tony think twice about any retort he might of said because instead he just held up his hands.

"My apologies. Carry on."

Everyone present turned to look at Fury and he sighed before motioning to Hill, who made something appear on the screen.

It was a very hazy piece of video footage that showed five people suddenly appearing in a small alley near central London. After a few moments the fifth person disappeared, leaving four young, teenaged children alone in the alley. They quickly made their way out of the alley and dispersed into the crowds.

Natalia bit her lip. These were wizards. It was a wonder something like this had never happened before. But then again, wizards tended to stay out of muggle places, and when they did, it was normally just round Kings cross and they had the ministry of magic to deal with any complications.

But Natalia knew that this particular street was being watched after suspicious activity a few months ago.

She tried to ignore the burning in her shoulder and told herself she was imagining it, this couldn't possibly be him. It was too much of a coincidence. But Natalia knew it was real. This was really happening and she felt sick to her stomach. She had tried so hard to keep him safe. She didn't want anybody to take advantage of him like they had of her. She could only hope that SHEILD were the only people who had gotten a hold of this footage.

"Five people just appear out of seemingly nowhere. One pops away and the other four just unassumingly walk out of there like it is a perfectly logical way of travel. But that's not even the worst bit." Fury's working himself up. "So we put some eyes on them. It's all well and good for twenty minutes. They're just normal sight-seers right? No. This kid."

Hill goes to the next image and Natalia's eyes are glued to the screen. This picture is of much better quality, but it's a profile image instead of a face on. His crimson curls are tied back, out of his face in a long, waist length plait. His green eyes are sharp and captivating. His face very angular and his body very muscular for a thirteen year old. He's wearing black, flexible trousers, that look like jeans, but probably aren't denim, and a dark grey long-sleeved top.

"This is from the eyes vantage point, a recorder was pinned to his collar."

Hill goes to the next video clip and play's the footage making everyone suck in a breath as the eye pulls closer to the group and all of a sudden Nikolai – because now Natalia's sure it's him – whips his head round, his eyes searching for something that he can't see. His eyes seem to linger on the camera's area, giving everyone perfect view of his face. Natalia is astounded no-one is looking her way yet. Every single facial feature is almost identical to hers, only more masculine. But nobody even looks her way. That is, until she glances at Clint, who's glancing between her and the screen.

Nikolai's gaze moves on, but it's certain to everyone from his posture and behaviour that he knows, he's being watched. They just have time to see his friends respond to his behaviour before Nikolai drags them all off somewhere.

At that point Hill cuts the video and Fury starts talking again.

"It was at this point that I told our eyes to bring the group in. Just a simple luring operation. We went for the weak link in the group."

Hill showed a quick clip of the brown haired boy being grabbed, then being given a very weak sedative and laced on one a roof top.

"The red haired kid noticed almost as soon as he was gone."

Another clip of Nikolai whirling round, just as the eye with the brown haired boy disappears round a corner.

In the same clip the brunette girl runs after the boy and Nikolai tries to stop her, but doesn't manage to. Everyone is surprised at the girl's speed. But focus more on the fact that only one of the three go after the boy.

"We did manage to pick up a bit of sound for this but, off of a nearby phone, but it is bad quality."

' _This is probably a trap. But we have to go and get them back. You can stay here. Yeah, I didn't think so. Just stay behind me. If we get separated, yell, okay?'_

"The kid is clever enough to realize it's a trap, but goes in anyway."

Everyone nodded at Fury's confirmation, or made some noise of affirmation.

"This bit is what worries me."

There were various states of shock at Fury's statement, but Natalia just bit her lip and watched the screen.

The footage showed Nikolai reacting violently and sharply when one of the eyes tried to grab his blonde haired friend.

The footage showed Nikolai was highly proficient with a knife and combat.

When the eye had to retreat, another had grabbed the blond haired girl, who dropped her bracelet on the floor.

From the rooftops Nikolai was shown spinning around to find his friend gone and her bracelet on the floor, which he picked up.

Everyone in the room was watching the screen astounded. Natalia felt pride well up inside of her, but had to keep a scowl down at the distress Nikolai was so obviously going through.

Another video showed Nikolai's deadly accuracy and foresight, knowing where the eye was going to step, his calculating eyes picking up on the man not fighting back, at which his mouth quirked up slightly. Which Natalia couldn't help but smirk at.

The video ended up with Nikolai being shot with what Natalia knew was a very strong sedative, especially in comparison to what his friends had been given.

Natalia had a very hard time restraining her own fury and anger. How dare they! She was going to gut someone for this. Unfortunately not literally. But that didn't mean she didn't really, really want to.

She cleared her throat. "So where are they now? I'm assuming they were in the jet that came in over an hour ago."

Everyone was staring at her and she realised that it probably hadn't been the best idea to draw attention to herself right at this moment when she looked so much like Nikolai, as it was bound to get some people asking questions.

Luckily Clint cut in and saved her.

"Hang on. Are you telling me that you abducted four thirteen year olds for no reason much more than you were curious? Then flew them half way across the world to America against their will, and you didn't think there might be a tiny bit of a problem with that?" Clint looked incredulous.

Everyone switched their gazes to Fury. He looked a smidge uncomfortable but unrepentant.

"Did you not just see the same thing as I did? Those kids could be dangerous."

"Actually, it was only the one kid that looked dangerous. Not all of them. You said kids, plural. When really it was only one of them."

"Additionally, the kid was only dangerous when his friends were taken."

Everyone started talking over them and Natalia took that opportunity to make her way to the control panel across the room. She could feel Clint following her, but didn't say anything.

She quickly bought up the holding cells to see where the kids were being held. She looked for the lowest security cells, sure that was where they would be held, and she was partly right. Three of the four children were there and awake, but not Nikolai.

Natalia's curiosity got the better of her and when she saw that the children were talking, she pressed the button for sound and listened to the children's conversation, though she was half aware that the rest of the people in the room had fallen silent to listen to them too.

" **That's unnecessary Hermione, Nikolai will be here soon."** The blonde wispy haired girl, whose voice matched her appearance, spoke to the brunette – Hermione, Natalia supposed.

" **I thought you said Nikolai was still out cold?"** The brown haired boy asked in confusion.

" **Oh, he was, but he just woke up."** Hermione sighed, but put away what Natalia realised was her wand.

"Nonsense, I have him monitored. Someone will come to get me as soon as-"

"Sir, the boy just woke up." An agent knocked on the door.

Natalia had to turn her face away so nobody could see the smirk on her face as everyone stared dumbfounded at the blonde haired girl in astonishment.

"What's the boy's room Fury?" Natalia asked.

"C24." Fury told her after a moment's hesitation.

Natalia tensed. That was quite a high security cell. But she didn't say anything, instead typing in the cell number into the computer.

"Are you sure about that Fury?"

"What do you mean am I sure about that? Of course I am sure about that." Fury sounded irritated. "What are you talking about Agent Romanoff?"

She transferred the image onto the larger screen. It showed room C24. But Nikolai wasn't in it, and the door was open.

Fury cursed.

"Hill, run a scan. He must have gotten out when the agent came to alert me. Don't let him get any further than he already has."

Natalia stepped away for Maria Hill to gain access to the computer.

She could see various images across the screen before she caught sight of a red haired figure walking calmly through a long, stretching corridor, people just passing him by, assuming he was supposed to be there for whatever reason.

It was a couple more seconds before Maria caught sight of him too.

She brought the image up fully and they watched as Nikolai calmly walked round people ruing through the corridors, he was lithe and had the grace of panther, exuding the illusion he belonged there.

Natasha smiled a small, almost unnoticeable smile. It was a good tactic, hiding in plain sight, as long as nobody was looking for you where you were.

His calm appearance didn't last long though, as Fury grabbed the intercom and spoke through the halls.

"Lock down on level three. We have an unauthorised access escapee, male, red haired, young. Don't let him get any further."

As Fury barked out the order there was a split second of stillness, before everything burst into action.

Everyone around Nikolai spun and lunged to catch him but he was already running. He spirited through the corridor, running like the devil was chasing him.

When a couple of the agents got in his way he didn't stop for a second, flipping right over them and round house kicking another when he landed.

He made his way through the agents like they were an obstacle course, his movements were smooth and easy, like they were ingrained in his muscle memory and he had performed them hundreds of times before.

Over halfway through the corridor he was surrounded, with people placed behind so he couldn't jump over them.

Nikolai was still, looking around him, his green eyes calculating, before he _moved._

He took down one agent in three seconds and Natalia knew that at the rate he was going, with his magic influencing his motions like they did with her, he could get his friends and be out of there in minutes if he used his magic.

Natalia realised she didn't want him to escape. She hadn't held her baby in close to fourteen years and the mark on her shoulder was burning in protest.

Making a quick decision she grabbed the intercom. Hoping he would understand her, she spoke to him in Russian.

 _"Nikolai. Stand down, we are not going to hurt you. We will take you to your friends, stand down and this can all be sorted out. You and you're friends are safe. I promise."_

Nikolai was still, he was alert, but he wasn't attacking any more. But when the agents surrounding him closed in, he tensed up again.

Natalia spoke in English this time. "All agents stand down. This is Agent Romanoff, telling all agents on level three to. Stand. Down."

She could hear Fury making a fuss behind her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Romanoff!"

Luckily Clint was there to intercept him.

She was too absorbed, watching for Nikolai's reaction to her name to pay them much attention.

The boy looked stunned. She could see him mouthing the word with no sound coming out. Then he frowned and something wrenched in Natalia's gut.

 ** _"Natalia Romanova?"_** Though it was just a name, it was said with a Russian accent. Natalia's heart soared.

But she noticed the utter silence that followed her name.

"How the hell does he know that Romanoff?" Fury demanded of her.

She ignored him and instead focused on Nikolai who seemed uneasy in the silent corridor he was stood in.

 _"Yes, that's me. Romanoff is derived from Romanova. I use it as an alias. Will you let me come down and take you to your friends?"_ She made sure her voice was soft and felt her voice waver to the end.

Nikolai didn't look very surprised when she had talked about her using an alias. Which led her to believe he had worked out what she did, what she was.

Nikolai seemed to be searching for something to say.

 ** _"Yes, but first, could you – could you say my full name?"_** Natalia realised he wanted confirmation that she was who she said she was.

Natalia knew that as soon as she said his full name everyone would know his relation to her. But it wasn't hard to work out anyway and in the end her son mattered more than her secrecy.

 _"I named you Nikolai Alekseevick Romanov when you were born to me on July 31st 1977."_

Natalia knew that much information wasn't necessary, but she needed him to believe her.

Nikolai looked like his world had just been turned upside down.

But then he whispered, **_"Mama?"_**

She was out of there and flying down through the halls as fast as she could.

She burst into the third level corridor and her gaze immediately latched onto her son, who was still surrounded.

He was gazing at her with those wide, forest green eyes and the mark on her shoulder burned brightly.

She strode forward.

The agents immediately parted to let her through.

She was stood before her son and her arms begged to reach out and never let him go, but it was too crowded.

Instead she held out her hand, and he took it after barely a moment.

She gently guided him through the halls, until they came across the quiet halls of the low security holding cells.

But just before they got to Nikolai's friends, Natalia stopped.

Letting out a deep breath she knelt down in front of her son, her son, whom she hadn't thought she would see for years, who was now stood in front of her, staring at her with those green eyes and curly crimson hair that they both shared and she couldn't help the tear that escaped her eye.

Nikolai blinked at the tear before gently lifting a finger to capture it before it could drip to the floor.

"Nikolai." Her voice was soft and gentle, like she was speaking to a wild animal. "Do you know who I am?"

He stared at her. "You're my mother." Despite what his earlier Russian might have suggested, her son had perfect English and no hint of an accent.

Natalia almost faltered at the factual response, but carried on anyway. She had to know.

"Do you know what I do? What I am?"

Nikolai bit his lip. "You're an assassin?" It was a question, and Natalia wished more than anything that the answer to his question was no. But she nodded her head, breaking their eye contact for the first time.

She hesitated "I understand if you don't want…" She trailed off. "If you don't want me as your mother. That's fine, I don't-"

What she didn't they never found out, because at that moment Nikolai launched himself at her, and Natalia - instead of reacting violently like people might have expected - captured him in her embrace like it was the most natural thing for her to do.

"I don't care! I don't! You're my mother and I love you unconditionally no matter what! You gave me away to keep me safe and you sent me letters, and I have always known you would love me no matter what, and that makes me happier than I can ever express. I am proud to be you're son!"

Nikolai was sobbing into her shoulder by the end of it. He was extremely emotional and tired out. But it was okay because Natalia was crying too and holding him as tight as she could.

For the first time in over a thirteen years, the mark on her shoulder was calm, it no longer burned or itched, or irritated her skin.

It was cool and dark. Permanent. It would stay like that from now on. Where previously it had been only an itching, not even a shadow of a mark, now, after burning whenever her son was upset, did accidental magic, or was close to her (like it had earlier) it had settled and the dark jasmine flower shaped mark was burned into her skin in the darkest shade of black, a permanent fixture in her life.

 **A/N: Reunion! Yay! This will be continued on in the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. I wasn't going to have Natalia and Nikolai reunited until after he finished Hogwarts (I know, I'm evil), but everyone was asking for it and this popped into my head. I hope you liked it, and if you did, review. Tell me, share the love. Can anyone guess what the jasmine flower mark symbolises. I have given you all many clues so it shouldn't be that hard. Until next time,**

 **Talesofwovensilver.**


	11. Chapter 11

She wasn't surprised when she felt his presence behind her, nor when he sat down, close enough to touch her.

She kept staring ahead. Waiting for him to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was hurt, but not accusing.

"I didn't tell anyone."

He didn't seem to know what to say to that.

"I thought the Red Room…"

He trailed off. But she didn't need him to say it to know what he was going to say.

"They did. I'm incapable of bearing children."

"Then…"

"This was before. It was before I had 'graduated'. On a pretty easy test mission. It finished a week before I was due to head back. I ended up staying in a small town and I met a man. He was sweet and charming and he made me feel safe. I loved him, even though I only knew him for a week. That was one of the best weeks in my life. But I was careless, and I didn't think about the consequences."

She drew in a shaky breath.

"When I learned I was pregnant I was so scared. A lot of people in my position would have hated their unborn child. But I didn't. I loved him from the moment I knew about him. He was the only thing I cared about."

"But the people at the Red Room. They wanted him. To raise into their perfect weapon. Trained from birth, with all my genetics from when they had… enhanced me."

Clint drew in a sharp breath beside her, but didn't interrupt.

"I wasn't about to let them. I had just given birth and I was weak, but I took him and I found somewhere he would be safe. Where they could never find him. Then I fled back to Russia. In the forests around the Red Room I lit a fire and made it seem as though I had thrown him in it. I told them that they would never be able to use him, that no-one would, that I would rather he died than became their tool. They believed me. After a few weeks of searching anyway. Women would do mad things to protect their children. The Red Room was so isolated that there was no-where around for miles that I could have taken Nikolai, so there really was no other option for his disappearance."

"I never told anybody about him. For fear that the government or other organisations would hear and want to use him the same way the Red Room had wanted to. My punishment from the Red Room was that I would never be able to bear children again. They did it in the most brutal of ways. But my real punishment was having to give up my son. Having him grow up calling two other people his parents. Another woman his mother. But it's okay, because Nikolai was safe and he would still be if Fury hadn't…"

Natalia had to grip the railings she was holding onto tightly to keep herself from doing something rash.

Clint's hand on her arm settled her.

"There's something else you need to know." She said it lowly.

Clint just continued to watch her silently.

She breathed out, before checking there were no cameras in their immediate area.

"I'm not…" She struggled for the word. "Mundane. I have what you might call powers. Or in a simpler form – magic."

She lifted her hand and for the first time in a long time let her magic dance around her fingers, creating shapes before she gave a gentle twist and an arrow appeared from thin air, held in between her fingers.

She heard Clint suck in another deep breath.

"I didn't use it before, because I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself than necessary. My mother's last words to me were to always keep my magic hidden and it was once my greatest fear that it would be found out."

She held out the arrow to Clint and was immensely relieved when he took it.

"People are as cruel as they are kind. There will always be the ones who find what I can do unnatural or wrong, or dangerous. Because they can't do what I can. Or because they think, if I and people like me can create these things from thin air, or disappear from one place and appear in another, then what else can we do. You know about the witch hunts that used to occur in the past. Everyone's heard about them even just in passing. Those were actual witch hunts, where wizards and witches alike were hunted and killed just for being able to use magic. Us humans, we're not so different from how we used to be."

Natalia kept on staring ahead, before a gentle hand took her face and slowly, like a caress bought her to face Clint.

Those intense blue eyes stared straight into her own forest green ones and she wanted so badly to break his gaze, but she didn't.

"You're her aren't you?"

Natalia knew what he was talking about. There had been a while when they had first met that he had watched her constantly for any sign of recognition. Anything really.

When Natalia hadn't given any outward signs she was who he was looking for he had dropped it. But still, for months afterwards she would catch him staring at her.

He had told her once. When he was conflicted over his feelings for Laura. He had told her that she reminded him of someone he had met years ago. A woman whom, though he had only known her for a week, had captured his heart and he had been searching for her for so many years. But it was like she had just disappeared.

But then he had met Laura and whilst he loved her, he was still caught up on the mystery woman. Clara, she had been called. An alias, Natalia knew it had been. A name she made up on the spot. And it hurt Natalia that Clint was still so strung up on a woman, who really, didn't exist.

When he had asked her for advice, she had told him:

' _Some things are only meant to last for a short while. Look back on them fondly, but don't stay caught up in that time. Move on, and find a new person to love. You love Laura, and she loves you. You could have a whole future with her. So why stay hung up on one week of your past?'_

Ever since then, she had asked herself whether she had done the right thing in giving Clint that advice. Because no matter what she told herself, she was still in-love with that gentle, but strong man she had met all those years ago on a cold, Autumns night. But then every time she saw Clint with Laura and their children, and saw how happy he was, she knew she had made the right choice in letting him go.

She wasn't whole, and he deserved better than her. Someone who wasn't scared to show love.

"Yeah. Yeah, that was me." Her voice was barely there.

"Why?" The one word was so full of emotion that it made Natalia want to sob.

"Because, you deserve better than me. I could see how happy you made Laura and how happy she made you. So I made a choice."

"You're not the only one who gets to make that choice Natasha."

"I don't regret it. I'd do it again." A half-truth. She would do it again, every time. Because she knew it was the right thing to do. But she could never truly rid herself of the regret. The 'what if's.

"Where you ever going to tell me?"

"In a few years. You are his father. But I wanted to make sure he wanted this. That he wanted to know me. To know you. I didn't want to tell you and then for him to…to not…"

"Yeah. I get it."

Somewhere during their conversation he had released his hand from her face.

She watched as he buried his face in the palm of his hand. His elbow balanced on his knee.

She heard his shaking breaths and felt a well of guilt build up inside of her.

It wasn't fair to have kept this from him for so long and then to drop it all on him like that.

"I'm sorry."

Clint's head snapped up. As a rule, Natasha didn't apologise. Then, only when it was absolutely called for.

"No. Don't be."

He pulled her to him, and for a while they just sat there. Staring off into nowhere, their thoughts at the forefront of their minds, Natalia leaning against Clint in exhaustion. His arm wrapped around her collarbone loosely.

"Do you wanted to meet him?"

"Yeah. I'd like that very much."

* * *

Nikolai had been shocked when her voice had come over the speakers. It seemed so familiar, but he knew no face that could match that voice.

That she had spoken in Russian had shocked him more and he had taken a moment to comprehend what she was saying.

He couldn't help but want to trust her when she said he was safe. Though he knew that made her dangerous, it hadn't put him on edge like it should have.

When she said Romanoff his brain had partly stopped, before beginning to pound. Romanoff was too similar a name to Romanov, or Romanova. His own surname.

Add that to the fact that this woman seemed to know him, or at least know about him – though part of his brain told him he could easily have learned his name from his friends – she spoke Russian and her last name sounded very similar to his own he took the risk.

Lily had once told him that his mother had called herself Natasha, a name that could easily be derived from the Russian name Natalia. Especially since Nikolai had worked out years ago what his mother's profession probably was. (Something which funnily enough had never really bothered him. He doubted it was her choice from how she had sounded in her letter.) This had made him guess that she had probably changed her name slightly from her original name, due to her circumstances.

He had come to the conclusion his birth mother's name was probably _Natalia Romanova_. Iskra (as he now called her) had told him women generally added an ' _a'_ to the end of their surnames when they ended with a ' _v'_.

Of course, there was no way of being sure but Nikolai had always felt right using that name when thinking about his mother.

When his mother had confirmed who she was and then appeared in front of him in less than a minute he felt like he had been hit with a stunner. Though not in a bad way. Just in the way that it had been a lot of information to process.

He could still find it amusing when everybody had immediately parted for her upon her arrival. It reminded him partly of Professor McGonagall and partly of all his other teachers. Daichi Sensei, Iskra, and Carlos (his weapons instructor). They all carried themselves in a similar way. Giving the image of power and/or danger.

He hardly had to think before taking her hand when she extended it.

He was still trying to take it all in as she led him through all the hallways.

But he had easily snapped out of it when he had realised what she was trying to say.

He had then told her in no uncertain terms that she was his mother and he loved her unconditionally no matter what. And would continue to do so.

He had felt so at home in her arms he had finally let it all out. All the stress and worry from the day came pouring out.

Once they had both cried themselves out, his mother had wiped away his tears as he did the same for her.

She had then told him his friends were waiting for him and that could he stay with them for a few hours whilst she sorted everything out? Before she would come back to get them and they could all go somewhere quieter and talk properly.

Nikolai had quickly agreed, still clutching tightly to her hand she had led him to the cell and made sure he was safe with all his friends before leaving.

Though before she left she had kissed his head and murmured to him in Russian that she loved him and would be back soon.

Then she left, leaving the door open and informing the guard in no uncertain terms to keep it that way – and exactly what would happen if he closed it.

Nikolai had been so drained he had barely had time to tell all his friends what had happened – though only the bare bones and it was so slurred it was probably ineligible (he had been drugged after all) – before collapsing against Luna, who had been expecting it and had gently lowered them both to the ground and rested his head on her lap, pulling some blankets from the bed in the corner to lay over him.

The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was Luna smiling gently at him, her fingers brushing against his hairline softly.

* * *

Together with Clint the two had returned to the control room where Fury and the rest of the Avengers were creating a commotion.

When they entered though, the room had fallen shockingly silent.

It didn't last long.

"Everyone SHUT UP!"

Sometimes Steve was just a godsend.

"Natasha, I think what we're all trying to say is, we don't quite understand just what's going on. Can you _please_ explain it to us?"

Natalia glanced at Clint and he nodded reassuringly at her.

She took a deep breath, before explaining to everyone gathered, what Nikolai's relationship to her was, how it had happened, and why he was in England.

Though not in as much detail as she had explained to Clint.

Then she turned on Fury before he had much time to process what he had just been told.

"Do you realise you just kidnapped my son?" She arched her eyebrow in a 'you-would-be-totally-dead-if-I-had-my-way' manner.

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

"Wait, so who's the dad? Do you know?" That was Tony.

Natalia didn't quite know what to say so she just opened her mouth indecisively.

She didn't know whether Clint would want her to tell everyone when he had only just found out under an hour ago.

The problem was solved for her.

"That would be me."

Everyone exploded again.

Clint and Natasha just looked at each other and sighed.

This was going to be one lo-o-o-ong explanation.

* * *

"Okay. So Nikolai's out for the count. Who the hell was that?"

Hermione looked just as confused as Neville felt.

Luna was just stroking Nikolai's head, probably already knowing most of what was going on.

To be honest, Nikolai was the only one who could ever really tell with Luna.

Not that they particularly cared. She was their best friend for a reason and they accepted her. Quirks and all.

Luna hummed. "I do believe that was Nikolai's mother."

They just stared at her and Hermione groaned.

"You know, that actually makes a weird amount of sense. One a hell of a coincidence huh?"

It was probably their weird luck. They always seemed to end up in weird situations. Like that one time Neville had ended up suspended by a vine, and found an extremely rare plant, that was widely thought to be extinct. The group had been walking along the outskirts of the forbidden forest, just ambling along.

Nikolai and Luna always just grinned at each other when something like that happened.

Whereas Neville and Hermione usually ended up groaning and going along with it. They had some weird friends.

Neville just couldn't stop himself from blurting out:

"Language."

Hermione just threw him an incredulous look.

Neville shrugged.

"That's twice you've sworn now."

"Neville, hell isn't even a swear word!"

"It is in the context you were using it."

"Uh. Be quiet you."

Neville grinned in triumph and despite her weak glares, he could see Hermione's lips quirking up. Which had been what he was aiming for in the first place.

"Uh, I hate you."

"You're incredibly inarticulate today 'Mione. That's the second time you've said 'Uh'."

Hermione let out a small amused huff.

"I _will_ throw something at you."

Neville raised his hands in surrender.

His case was lost when he burst out laughing.

He ended up with a pillow in his face for all his troubles.

Luna took the time to evaluate her friends.

They'd both come so far from when they had all first met.

Hermione was no longer the bossy, high-strung and insecure little girl she had once been.

She had grown into a confident, relaxed, friendly girl with a surprisingly wry and witty sense of humour.

Neville too had progressed so much from when they had all first met him on the train as first years.

Being sorted into Gryffindor with Hermione and becoming a permanent fixture in their friendship group had helped his self-confidence immensely. He was so much happier in himself and it showed.

He joked around more. Wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Though he had always retained his polite manner of speaking, when he was around friends he teased them (especially Hermione) and laughed around with them.

His physical appearance too had changed. He had stopped worrying about what other people thought about him and had instead just improved himself for him. He had joined in with Hermione and Nikolai in their martial arts, though he wasn't nearly as advanced. He had lost his baby fat and gained some muscle. But the real difference was in how he held himself.

Neville kept his head up. Always ready to pick himself up and start again if something didn't go as planned. He didn't let anybody get to him. Instead of listening to the people that were willing to put him down. For being clumsy or forgetful (both of which had improved greatly with his confidence) he just ignored the slights and listened to his friends.

Then there was Nikolai.

Luna gazed down at the sleeping boy.

Nikolai had been her constant for so long now.

He was always there when she needed him. And she knew he always would be.

He was her other half. Always by her side. Something she loved him for.

Because she did love him. She had loved him for so long. Since they had first met. She had known there was something special about him and he had fascinated her.

Not just because of how beautiful he was, or how kind.

There was something about him that drew her to him. Some might call it charisma. But even though he had that in spades, Luna knew that wasn't it.

Because nobody looked at Nikolai the same was she looked at him. No-one – no matter how hard they might try – saw Nikolai the same way Luna saw him.

He was so pure. Luna liked to think of him as her angel. Her saving grace. Her protector. Even though she didn't need a protector all the time. It always calmed her down and reassured her to know he was there when – not if – she needed him.

Because she would always needed him.

But what made their relationship so special was that he needed her too.

Whenever things got too much, or he just needed someone to understand him. Luna would always be there.

The young man in question stirred gently and Luna realised they had been sat there for half an hour already.

One of the guards had bought in a clock earlier.

Neville and Hermione had ended up leant against the wall side by side. Murmuring to each other occasionally.

Luna smirked inwardly. There was a couple no-one would be surprised about. At least, no-one who knew them.

Nikolai opened those beautiful forest green eyes. They met her own bright cornflower blue eyes. Nikolai smiled up at her warmly and she smiled back, before moving to the side slightly so he could sit up.

"Nikolai!" Neville and Hermione rushed over.

"Hey guys."

Nikolai rested against Luna, leaning back so his neck lay against hers. Just where it met the shoulder. Her nose level with the top of his head.

He was still feeling pretty lethargic from the sedative now that the adrenaline from earlier had worn off. Though the rest had helped.

"How are you feeling?" It was Hermione, who was looking at him enquiringly.

He smiled up at her sleepily and she grinned at him.

"You look like a dopey puppy."

Neville snorted.

Nikolai pouted. Luna just smiled at him when he tilted his head up to her.

He groaned. "You're horrible friends." He hid his smile in Luna's hair, though they all knew it was there.

"Don't worry Niko. We're just teasing. You met your mother?" Luna had inherited her mother's voice and as she had gotten older it had gotten lower and more melodic. It wasn't low, but it was no longer high pitched and Nikolai reckoned he could listen to Luna speak all day.

Which was probably why it took Nikolai's befuddled mind a moment to comprehend Luna's question. Nikolai nodded.

"Yeah. Did you guys?"

"Briefly." It was Hermione again. "She dropped you off but didn't stay long except to tell us she'd be back. Though we did hear her threatening the guard outside. It was quite amusing."

"For us. I don't think the guard found it quite so amusing." Neville added his two cents.

Hermione just grinned at him. Neville rolled his eyes but grinned back at her.

"It's been close to an hour. I doubt we'll have to wait more than half an hour more."

"Okay." Nikolai nodded at Luna. "Do you guys know what's going on?"

Neville grinned. "Well you tried to tell us before you fell asleep. But it didn't really work out, so you might want to tell us again." He gave a very impish grin.

Nikolai rolled his eyes. But complied anyway. Telling them everything he knew.

"I must say you're taking this very well."

"Nope. Sorry Hermione, but inside I still haven't decided out whether to freak out or jump for joy so I've resigned myself to just roll with it. Things are only gonna get weirder from here on out. Next thing you know I'll be meeting my dad too."

Luna made a weird face.

"What?" Nikolai's tone was already wary.

"Just that I wouldn't put that down as the most unlikely thing to happen."

Nikolai just sighed. His wariness converting into weariness.

"Well I guess that's gonna happen too."

"You can't be sure…" Hermione started.

"Oh, I'm sure. Luna practically said so."

"That could be interpreted in-"

"Neville. No. It couldn't."

"Yeah I thought so."

So they just sat there and waited for the storm to roll in.

 **A/N: Review people! Tell me if you like! Favourite bits, Things you spotted, whether you want any specific pairings (caution: you may not get them just because you ask, sorry). Just review. I feed off reviews! - Okay, that sounds creepy. I don't feed off reviews. I just really, really love reviews.**


	12. Chapter 12

"So, let me get this straight. You kidnapped a child. Four children in fact. Am I right?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"Quite blatantly so, yes."

"What gives you the authority-?"

"No director, what gives **you** the authority to kidnap children off the street, when they have done nothing to you. If anything you should have tracked the adult that dropped them off. They're just children!"

"They're just children that could easily escape from this highly secure facility with a few twists of their hands! You saw what that kid did and that was just one of them!"

"What harm where they doing? I thought we were just supposed to apprehend criminals! Are children criminals now? Just for slightly abnormal behaviour? If we were going to apprehend every weird kid we discovered, there would be no kids left!"

"No, Agent Barton. Look-"

"I don't think I want to."

"Shut it Stark!"

"Oh, touchy are we. Seriously though Fury, What the hell?"

This was the scene that Natalia sat watching. She was getting fed up with the repetitive cycle. Not that she wasn't furious more than anybody else. But she could deal with Fury at another time. Right now her son was in the same building as her for the first time in over a decade and she was itching to get back to him.

So she stood up, and when Clint was the only one who noticed her, she whistled loudly to get everyone's attention.

When every face was turned to her, she spoke.

"As amusing as this is, I have priorities and at the moment, squabbling like a bunch of five year old children is not one of them. Now if you all continue I will have to shut you up myself. Am I understood?"

There was a chorus of 'Yes ma'am' and Natalia smirked slightly.

"Excellent. So Tony. I'm going to be taking Nikolai and his friends back to the Tower. I hope you're okay with that." It wasn't a question.

Tony – correctly guessing Natasha's tolerance for stupid comments at the moment – wisely kept his mouth shut and just nodded.

"Clint, you're coming with me. The rest of you. I don't care. As long as you don't get in my way."

With that, she spun and left the room, Clint keeping pace next to her. He flashed a cheeky grin at her and speed of in the direction of the holding cell where Nikolai and his friends were being kept.

Natalia rolled her eyes but speed up to catch up to him. Going at the speed they were, they were at the floor in no time and Natalia was satisfied to see the door had been left wide open as per her orders.

She didn't let herself hesitate before walking in.

Although she did have to blink once she took in the scene. All four of the children were laying on the floor. The two brunettes together, and Nikolai leaning against a blonde haired girl.

They all looked much too relaxed for the situation, given that they were currently in a holding cell.

"Well look at that." Clint was grinning at the scene over her shoulder although his main focus was Nikolai.

Who was now currently in the process of raising to his feet along with the rest of his friends.

" _Mama."_ Nikolai's green eyes were shining and Natalia strode forward to embrace him once more.

" _My son_. We will be moving soon, but first you must introduce us to your friends." Natalia gently loosened her grip on Nikolai, but didn't move away, only angling herself so she stood more to one side so Nikolai could move more freely, although he seemed content enough to stay tucked next to her side.

"Us?" Nikolai looked to Clint.

"Yes. This is Clint. _I trust him explicitly, and he's my partner in the field_."

" _He protects you?"_ Nikolai was staring as Clint, assessing him with narrowed eyes.

"Yes." Natalia watched amusedly as Nikolai stared at Clint who stared back at him, although Natalia could tell he was nervous.

The nervousness broke when Nikolai smiled softly at Clint. "Thank you for protecting my mother."

Clint grinned back at him. "Of course. Nat needs all the protection she can get."

"Careful Clint." Natalia glared at Clint, who just waggled his eyebrows at her.

Nikolai chuckled, before motioning to his friends who all came towards them.

"This is Hermione Granger. She goes to school with me, and she's muggle-born, although I met her when I was five."

Natalia nodded, she was aware that muggle-borns were what English wizards and witches called those of them born to non-magical parents. Hermione (as Natalia had known she'd been called from the monitoring footage) had thick brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes, with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose that were barely noticeable. She also had a strong build and her muscles (from what Natalia could see) where well-defined for a fourteen year old.

"This Neville Longbottom. He too goes to school with me too, and he's in Gryffindor with Hermione." Natalia assessed Neville, and although he – the same as all the children – had defined muscles and a good physique for children their age, she could see why the agents sent to retrieve them had pegged him as the weak link. His face was too open. For example, Natalia could tell her gaze was making him uncomfortable without even trying to read him. She gave him a small, reassuring smile, and a nod.

Then she transferred her gaze to the one that Nikolai had left until last and let her lips twitch up in a smile when the girl unabashedly stared straight at her.

"This is Luna Lovegood. We met when we were three, and she's in Ravenclaw with me." Nikolai seemed happy to introduce all his friends to her, but he seemed especially interested in her reaction to Luna.

Natalia figured out why, when, instead of smiling and nodding like Nikolai's other two friends, Luna stepped forward from where she had been stood just to Nikolai's left, and approached Natalia until there was practically only centimetres between them.

"Hello there, we've been waiting to meet you for a very long time. I wanted to say thank you, and that you need to stop supressing your magic like that. It will only hurt you."

The girl – whom she had only met that day and never had any prior introduction to – then proceeded to place her hand just above Natalia's abdomen, and hummed before speaking again.

"You've got a very large infestation of Mipping Mizbeez. They knot up in your magic and make you feel all anxious. It's not very healthy."

Luna was staring at her with cornflower blue eyes, and Natalia had no idea how to respond to that, and was in the process of wondering whether the child was messing with her when she let her eyes travel over to Nikolai. He was looking at Luna adoringly, with a wide smile stretched across his face, and he looked up to his mother when he felt her gaze, grinning at her in conspiratorial way, as if sharing something only they knew. Natalia knew from that gaze, that no matter how odd Luna came across, it was completely genuine, and her son obviously treasured her because he looked at her like she was something he couldn't quite believe he had.

"She's saying how you need to relax more, because you're straining yourself too much and it's very bad for your health."

How Nikolai managed to gather that Natalia didn't know, but knowing what Luna had said, and recognising it as genuine concern Natalia smiled at the girl and stroked her head.

"Thank you for the concern, but that's more difficult than you might think in this profession."

Luna shook her head, slowly letting her hand fall from Natalia's torso, only for it to latch onto one of her hands. "We'll help you. Don't worry." She smiled up at Natalia and she couldn't help but return the smile, despite the oddness of the situation.

"What the hell?" It looked like everybody else had arrived.

"Yeah, I hear you Stark." Clint looked beyond confused at the situation.

It was only when the giggling started that everyone seemed to snap out of the silence (for whatever reason, it being amusement, contentment, or confusion), to look towards the source of the giggling.

Neville and Hermione were leaning towards each other, trying to muffle their laughter and avoid looking at each other, only to catch each other's eyes leading to their giggles increasing.

Nikolai just grinned and pulled Luna under one of his arms, where she stayed quite comfortably, passing on Natalia's hand to Nikolai, which he took and gently tugged her round so she was standing next to him, as he chuckled at Neville and Hermione's increasing giggle fit.

It took a while, but eventually they calmed down, and when they did came time for a whole new bunch of revelations.

"Merlin!" Hermione gasped.

"What is it Hermione?" Nikolai tensed, expecting something bad.

"That's Captain America." She pointed to a tall, muscular, blond haired man, who was stood in the door way with a whole bunch of other people.

The man in question suddenly looked extremely awkward.

"Uh… Who?" Neville was the one to voice the confusion for both him, Nikolai, and surprisingly Luna too. It seemed even she knew little about the muggle world.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me, you don't know who Capsicle over here is?"

A shorter (than the tall blonde guy anyway) man, with dark brown hair, and tanned skin didn't give Hermione time to answer. He pushed towards the front of the group and motioned over his shoulder towards 'Captain America' apparently, also known as 'Capsicle'.

"No, we do not know who that is."

"Do you know who I am?"

"No."

"This guy?" Another tall blonde guy, although this guy had longer hair and they looked very different when stood next to each other.

"Nope."

"This guy." This guy also had dark hair, although it was curlier and his face was rounder, his manner was also a lot quieter.

"Nada."

"And these two." The pointed to Natalia and Clint.

"We've been introduced." Nikolai raised his eyebrow.

"Ohh, sassy. But you do?" He looked towards Hermione, who nodded.

"All of us?"

"Of course, you're the Avengers, I can't believe I didn't register this earlier." Hermione looked about ready to slap herself. So much that Neville actually hovered over her wrist, which just made her give him a 'look'.

"Riight." Tony just looked confused. Like he couldn't understand why one child knew about them, but the other three didn't. Because if one knew about them, then they were obviously known in England.

"Okay, we can sort this out once we get to the tower, but first we need to actually get there, so I want Tony and Clint to get me a vehicle asap, and the rest of you can just help me get these kids to the parking lot undisturbed." Natalia was getting bored with the constant confusion, so started giving out orders.

"And if I see Fury, I will shoot him."

"Roger that." Steve seemed faintly amused at her phrasing, but acknowledged her side order happily. Which was to make sure Fury was kept out the way. Steve would be able to recruit Coulson to help him on that one.

That left Thor and Bruce to help her get them all to where there would be a vehicle of some description waiting for them.

It was thankfully pretty easy to get them all outside to where there was a van waiting for them with Clint in the Driver's seat, and Tony looking slightly put out in the passenger's seat.

Natalia rolled her eyes, before motioning everyone into the van, which held blacked out windows.

"Tony, get out the front, you're too recognisable."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Don't make me move you."

Tony moved pretty quickly.

"Okay, Hermione, Neville can you two sit in the front. With you two next to Clint, we probably won't be recognised. Oh, Clint put this on." Natalia threw him a nondescript, baggy shirt and a pair of sunglasses.

Clint grumbled it was too hot but obliged anyway.

"Where did they come from?" Tony questioned as Neville and Hermione moved to sit in the front, with Hermione by the door and Neville in the middle between Clint and Hermione.

Natalia had an idea it was so Neville wouldn't accidentally freak out the moment the currently stationary vehicle started moving and jump out the door. She just glared at Tony in a 'shut-up-it-really-doesn't-matter' kind of way.

As everybody else filed in and Steve finally closed the doors, she let herself settle down next to Nikolai. Luna was sat across from them, talking to Thor. Which was amusing to watch, but Natalia really just wanted to talk to her son.

 **A/N: Okay, guys I realise this is a really short chapter, but I wanted to finish this before Christmas, so I can post it as an 'I'm really sorry I haven't posted in months' apology present. I already have an idea for their conversation, so I'll try and get the next chapter done soon.**

 **Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you like this chapter, it's just sorting everything out, and as I said earlier, I have somethings I want to cover so the next chapter should be up reasonably soon (please don't hold me to that).**

 **As always Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

" _You have questions. I can see it in your face."_

Nikolai glanced up. His mother was looking at him softly. Her sharp, alert presence didn't reduce at all, but her attentive expression didn't make him uneasy. He'd never met anyone like her before, and he knew there was a lot he didn't know about her, he had already noticed how people followed her orders almost as quickly as she spoke them, how some (most - perhaps all) of the people in the building had seemed tense around her, but he didn't feel the need to react like that around her.

More than anything her presence comforted him. It was an odd reaction to have to someone who was realistically almost a stranger. But she'd always been a presence in his life, even if she wasn't there physically. He thought of her all the time and had spent years wanting to meet her. He had planned that once he left Hogwarts he would look for her, he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

He thought back to what his mind had been on before Natalia had spoken.

There were more than a few things on his mind.

Smiling reassuringly at her to show his silence was contemplative, not uncomfortable, Nikolai thought of how to phrase his questions.

" _Yes. I'm just wondering how we managed to make it here so fast without magic, as well as why our guardians haven't come to find us, as I know they put tracking and protection spells on us in order for us to be allowed in muggle London by ourselves. It just doesn't seem to make sense."_

Natalia angled closer to Nikolai and lowered her voice more, speaking in soft undertones.

" _I can answer your first question easily, the second one I'm not so sure. I work with a secret organisation, which I won't tell you the name of, just because strictly speaking I'm not supposed to be telling you this, so we don't want anyone to catch on. But they have highly advanced technology which is how you were transported here so quickly. I'm assuming you've heard of jets?"_

" _Vaguely, but I'm not overly familiar with the word."_

" _They're like aeroplanes, but shaped different to passenger planes and smaller to sum it up. We have the fastest ones available, the ones the public aren't aware of."_

" _That makes sense, but what about the tracking spells. I thought the people here weren't magic so they couldn't have broken them?"_

" _Well, as you may know, a lot of magic doesn't work around technology. Normally it's the technology that is effected, but it could have reversed and when you were introduced to a lot of modern technology the spell broke. Although I doubt it. There is also the fact that you were hit with a very strong tranquiliser dart, and although that shouldn't have mixed with magic, as a Romanov both mine and your magics are very in tune with our physical state, and whilst your magic would normally work on rejecting the tranquiliser – and likely was – it could have alternatively pushed away all potential threats, including any foreign magic. Meaning your guardians would have felt the spells on you deactivate, but wouldn't have been able to do anything about it if they didn't have your location."_

" _That makes sense for me. But what about the others?"_

" _Well, I was thinking about that and do you know the type of tracking or safety precaution spells that they placed on you?"_

Nikolai blushed slightly.

" _No then. It's okay, but in future maybe make sure you know what spell someone is casting on you before you let them."_

" _I trust them."_

" _I'm glad of that but in the future someone could be masquerading as them. Sometimes people will use the people you trust most to manipulate you."_

" _Did-"_

Natalia seemed to predict what he was going to say and shook her head.

" _I rarely trust someone enough to let them betray me. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Just that you should be careful. I was going to ask you if you think your guardians would have tied your tracking spells together, meaning they were interlinked and that when one failed, they all did?"_

" _Perhaps. It would explain why no-one's apparated in to whisk us away."_

" _Maybe. Although it does take a lot of magical energy to apparate between countries, it's almost impossible to do. They'll be more likely to portkey through or to contact the American Ministry of Magic."_

" _The American Ministry?"_

" _Yes. MACUSA. Magical Congress of the United States of America. Did they not teach you that in Hogwarts?"_

" _Our History of Magic teacher isn't exactly stellar."_ Nikolai smiled ruefully.

" _Well, now you know, perhaps you could ask your guardians for more information on the subject when you get back. It might come in handy in the future."_

Nikolai was reminded of the fact that he'd have to go back, and whilst the idea didn't upset him, the thought of being reunited with his mother only to have to leave her soon after wasn't exactly at the top of the list of things that made him happy.

" _What's wrong?"_

Nikolai didn't expect the touch of her hand on his arm, but he leaned into it subtly.

If Natalia noticed she didn't comment.

" _Nothing. I just had a thought that's all."_

" _Well, what were you thinking about?"_

" _I just met you."_ Nikolai expected her to say something as she had each time he'd paused, but she didn't, she was just watching him, waiting for him to elaborate with her sharp green eyes.

" _I just met you and I don't know that if I leave when the next time I see you will be."_

Natalia seemed to contemplate something for a moment.

" _Do you know why I gave you up?"_

" _To protect me."_

" _Yes, to protect you from people that wanted to use you, because you were my child and you had my genetics. The people that I hid you from, they think you're dead, but if they find out you aren't, they could hunt you down. I'm a dangerous person to know Nikolai. You have to understand that."_

Nikolai leant forward, a tinge of panic sparking in his eyes as he heard what she wasn't saying.

" _But I don't care, you're my mother, I want to stay-"_

Natalia covered his mouth with her hand, silencing him as she met his eyes.

" _Nikolai. I know. I want you to stay. You have no idea how much. But you have a life in England. You have a school to return to. A family. Friends that care about you. I can't take care of you the way you deserve."_

" _Are these them? Are these the people?"_

Nikolai's body tensed up and he shifted so his back was against the wall of the van, leading Natalia to lower her hand.

" _No, they're not. These people you can trust. These people I trust. But the organisation I work with will be interested in you and I want to minimise that interest. They aren't the same people I hid you from, and they helped give me a second chance, but that doesn't make them all good people."_

" _Then why do you work for them? Why do you stay?"_

" _Nikolai. Do you not think that perhaps I'm not a good person?"_

Nikolai looked at her for a moment. Still her eyes didn't waver, even though it wasn't an easy question to ask.

" _Do you not think that perhaps I don't care? Perhaps I just want my mother?"_

" _You have me. But it's safer for you if I'm not there."_

" _I'm not sure whether I believe that."_

" _Nikolai. I'm an assassin. I have a target painted on me. That means by extension you have one on you too."_

" _I don't want to lose you when I just got you."_

Nikolai tilted his head so it was resting with his cheek pressed hard against the side of the van, his head tilted down, his line of view focusing on Natalia's left arm pressed to the side of the van, not meeting her eyes.

It didn't take long for her hand to tilt his chin upwards and away from the wall, although his eyes stayed down.

" _Nikolai, please look at me."_

He lifted his eyes.

Her other hand came up to cup his face.

" _I love you. More than anyone or anything else in the world and there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect you. I'm not going to run anywhere. I'm not going to disappear completely from your life after today. But if something happened to you because of me I would never forgive myself. I just want you to be safe."_

Her voice implored him to understand and her eyes searched his to see if he did.

" _I know. I love you too. And I know it's unrealistic, but I always thought that once I meet you I'd be able to stay with you and get to know you the way I've always wanted to instead of having to leave you again."_

" _You will still see me. Perhaps in your next summer holiday you and your friends can come stay here in America. We'll be able to see each other and I can prove to you that I'm not leaving your life. I haven't used magic in a long while. It is hard to do so undetected, but I promise you I'll find a way that we can talk together even when I'm not there."_

Nikolai sighed. He had known when he'd started the conversation that it would end up this way. Honestly he would have been more surprised if she'd told him to stay with her in America. He knew it was unrealistic and he couldn't exactly just leave England. He didn't even fully want to. He just wanted to be with his mother.

"Okay."

He could see her face shutter slightly as he switched back to English so he quickly backtracked.

" _I mean, I'd like that, I still want to spend more time with you, but I get that you're doing this to keep me safe and you probably have things to be doing anyway."_

He was filled with relief when her lips quirked upwards fondly.

" _Well, you still have a while left of your summer holidays don't you? Why don't you spend the time exploring America rather than London? I'm sure we can sort something out with your guardians."_

Nikolai's whole face lit up and Natalia knew she'd said the right thing.

" _I'd like that."_

* * *

Neville had predictably freaked out when the van had started moving. Though to his credit it had only been a minor freak out.

"Honestly Neville, it's not that different from the carriages we ride in. And you stay firmly on the ground. No flying required."

"Actually Hermione, I am not firmly on the ground, I am in fact, trapped in a suspended moving metal box, and yes, you aren't the only one who uses words like suspended."

Hermione rolled her eyes, before shifting her attention off the snarky but considerably calmer Neville and onto the driver.

"You're Hawkeye aren't you?"

"That is a name I go by, yes." Clint didn't take his eyes off the road, but his mouth twitched up at the question.

At Neville's confused look, Hermione decided to elaborate.

"He's a member of the Avengers. The Avengers are basically a team of people with special abilities or skills who help save the world from evil."

A very simplified, childish version, but Clint supposed that was the general public view.

"Right. But why do you know about them and not me?"

"Well, they're in the muggle news a lot, I don't really know why they aren't in the wizarding news, but it could be because wizarding Britain is very isolated from the other countries if you don't include Quidditch and the Avengers are based in America."

"What the hell is Quidditch?" Tony spoke up from where he'd obviously been listening in from the back of the van.

Hermione and Neville twisted round in their seats and even Nikolai looked up from his hushed conversation with his mother.

"It's the wizarding sport. You play it on brooms and there are several balls that do different things."

"Wait. Did you say brooms? As in flying broomsticks?"

"Yes, you heard correctly."

"You're joking."

"No."

"That is beyond even my capabilities of understanding. How would you even sit on a broom?"

"The same way you sit on a bike?"

"You mean they have bike seats. That seems a little weird."

"Well, no they don't have bike seats," Hermione was on the verge of going into full on rant mode, when Neville cut in.

"What's a bike?"

Nikolai closed his eyes as the conversation blew up from there, with Tony's incredulity, Neville's confusion and slight terror at being faced with so many incredulous faces, and Hermione's protective defence of Neville mixed with everyone else's own opinion.

When Luna and Thor started discussing bicycles and then horse riding and then magical creatures were inserted, Nikolai asserted she'd probably be at it for a while and leant against his mother.

"I'm taking a nap, wake me up when we get there."

Natalia just nodded and waited until Nikolai had drifted off (it seemed that tranquiliser was still having an effect – she was going to have to visit those eyes in medical when she got the chance) before repositioning him so he was lying down properly, her hand gently untangling the knots in his hair as she surveyed the van and listened into the surrounding conversations.

Steve was occasionally glancing over at her, and would give her small smiles when she caught him at it, before going back to conversing quietly with Bruce.

Tony had made his way to the front of the van, perching behind the seats, but keeping out of view each time Natalia gave him a sharp glance, his curiosity and incredulity taking priority as he talked to the two fourteen year olds. Distracting Clint whilst he was at it.

Luckily Clint was good at multitasking.

Natalia was listening to Thor talk to Luna though with an odd sense of confusion. It wasn't often she was left confused, and despite her rather extensive knowledge of magic even though she hadn't lived in the magical world for very long (only a few years from when she was a child, but adults tended to talk over you when you were a child and didn't think you were listening, so she had trained herself to remember everything of value once she'd entered the red room), she was quickly beginning to wonder whether many of the subjects of the rapidly paced and quickly changing conversation actually existed.

Then her thoughts turned from evaluative to contemplative.

Nikolai had asked her about the tracking spells put on him and the others in the group. There was an alternative explanation.

Despite the part about the tranquiliser and the technology being true, Nikolai's well-being was in a way, directly tied to Natalia. Something that had formed the day she gave him up. She was always aware of his distance from her. It burned itself into her shoulder every day. So when they were apart Natalia would constantly be aware that he was in potential danger, yet today the consistent burning that signalled him being out of her reach when he needed her had calmed. He'd fallen back under her protection.

Natalia couldn't help but think that was the reason the protection spells around Nikolai had broken - because hers was far greater. And if their protection monitoring spells were all interconnected – or it was a group tracking spell – then it would have been Natalia that had effectively broken them.

* * *

"In Asgard, warriors are highly regarded, but there are magic wielders amongst us too. My brother Loki is one such wielder. But he does not use any wand."

Thor ignored the tilted head and raised eyebrows at the mentioned of Loki, ignoring even Clint's unamused expression from where he was stood beside the sofa's that had been dragged around the room.

Luna, Hermione and Neville sat on one, Thor sat on an armchair nearest to Luna's side, Clint stood beside him, as near as he could be to Natalia and Nikolai without being suspicious.

Thor seemed to realise Luna was interested in almost anything new and unheard of and so had started telling her about Asgard, listening intently when she spoke.

She had odd speaking patterns, very drifty and often seemingly jumping subject without warning, but Thor went with it.

"Weapons aren't used much in the magical world. Most witches and wizards just use wands. Though there are other magical species that use weapons – like the centaurs. Centaurs are legendary archers you know." Neville tilted his head slightly from where he was sat beside Hermione, hearing Luna's tone change and become less dreamy.

Hermione was caught up in talking to Bruce, Tony interrupting when he could, but caught by Steve every time he started taking over and pressing an issue.

"Ah! But are they as good as our Clint?"

"Thor." Clint tried to do damage control as he heard the hidden message in Thor's booming voice, but it was already done, everyone – even Nat and Nikolai – were looking his way now.

"What do you mean?" Luna's floaty question was directed at Thor but her gaze was on Clint.

Nikolai's eyes narrowed as he caught onto what Luna was doing. But why?

"Clint here is perhaps the best mortal archer I've ever met. He rivals even Asgardians."

Luna hummed.

"Perhaps a demonstration then."

"Tony, no."

"Come on, Clint? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything Stark. I just don't have your compulsive need to show off and prove myself. I'm confident in my own skill."

"Well said, my friend, but surely it wouldn't hurt to show the young ones a little of your skill. They don't seem entirely convinced of my word."

"They aren't interested."

Clint looked to Nat for help, but she just looked back at him.

He shot her a look.

Bad move.

"How about we go outside. Go get your bow and we'll set up some targets for you."

"Natasha, I don't think."

He gave up when he saw the look on her face. She was having too much fun for this situation.

"Fine."

"Finally. Why are you so self-conscious anyway?"

"Just set up the damn targets Stark."

* * *

 **A/N: So I don't really like this chapter but I felt bad for not updating in like half a year, so here this is. I wanted to do Clint being outed as Nikolai's father in this chapter but every time I try and lead on and write it, it just feels so thin and terrible, so I'm going to wait and do it in the next chapter in the hope that then I will be able to do it justice.**

 **This is mainly just a linking and explaining chapter so I'm sorry it doesn't really have much substance to it, I'm thinking of maybe ending this fic on the end of Nikolai's visit and doing a separate one on the Triwizard Tournament which was one of the primary ideas being what this fic was leading up to (perhaps not ending it, but doing a separate fic so this one isn't as rushed). Just a thought. I might do a poll on it if enough people give the inclination.**

 **Thank you everyone for baring with me and following the story with my terribly sporadic updates, I really am sorry, and I know I said I'd update soon on the last one but…**


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